Method of producing titanium

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF FORMING TITANIUM WHICH COMPRISES PASSING TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE THROUGH FIRST DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE WHILE HEATING SAID TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DISPROPORTIONATE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID TRICHLORIDE TO THE DICHLORIDE, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE FROM THE FIRST DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE PATIAL PRESSURE OF TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE BELOW THE EQUILBRIUM DISPROPORTIONATION PRESURE OF TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE AT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE TRICHLORIDE IN THE FIRST DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE, PASSING THE NONVOLATILE PRODUCT FROM THE FIRST DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE INTO AND THROUGH A SECOND DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE WHEREIN THE SAID NONVOLATILE PRODUCT IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE ON THE ORDER OF 1000*C. TO 1400*C. TO OBTAIN TITANIUM METAL, MAINTAINING THE PARTIAL PRESSURE OF THE GASEOUS TITANIUM CHLORIDES IN THE SECOND DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE BELOW THE EQUILIBRIUM DISPROPORTIONATION PRESSURE OF TITANIUM DICHLORIDE AT THE TEMPERATURE OF TITANIUM DICHLORIDE IN THE SECOND DISPROPORTIONATION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE TITANIUM CHLORIDE VAPORS GENERATED IN THE SECOND ZONE, PASSING SAID VAPORS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE FLOW OF, AND IN CONTACT WITH, THE SOLID TITANIUM CHLORIDES ADVANCING THROUGH THE TWO DISPROPORTIONATION ZONES, AND CONDENSING TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE FROM THESE COUNTERFLOWING TITANIUM CHLORIDE VAPORS IN THE FIRST ZONE.