Electrolytic method for production of refractory metal

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR PRODUCING TITANIUM METAL IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING AN ANODE AND A FUSED BATH CONSISTTING ESSENTIALLY OF SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL HALDIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES, MAGNESIUM HALIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THE STEPS COMPRISING INTRODUCING A PREFORATED CATHODIC BASKET-LIKE MEMBER BENEATH THE SURFACE OF SAID FUSED BBATH, INTRODUCING TICL4 BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID BATH INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CATHODIC MEMBER, PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT BETWEEN THE ANODE AND CATHODIC MEMBER AT A RATE SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE TICL4 ADDITION SO TAHT THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT IS SIFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE TICL4 BEING ADDED TO METAL, MAINTAINING THE CATHODE CURRENT DENSITY OF THE CELL WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 200 TO 500 AMPERES PER SQUARE FOOT AND MAINTAINING THE CURRENT TO TICL4 FEED RATIO WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 5.0 TO 7 FARADAYS PER MOL AT SAID CATHODE CURRENT DENSITY THEREBY DEPOSITING AN ADHERENT MASS OF PERFORATIVE TITANIUM METAL ON THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF THE CATHODIC MEMBER, AND MAINTAINING THE ELECTROYLTE EXTERIORLY TO THE CATHODIC BASKET-LIKE MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM REDUCED TITANIUM VALUES.