Production of titanium metal

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING TITANIUM METAL SPONGE WHICH COMPRISES ADDING DROPWISE A LIQUID TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE TETRABROMIDE AND THE TETRACHLORIDE ONTO MOLTEN LITHIUM METAL PRESENT IN EXCESS OF THE STOIOCHIOMETRIC QUANTITY REQUIRED TO REACT WITH THE TETRAHALIDE AND SUSPENDED AT THE SURFACE OF A MOLTEN SALT BATH, TO PROVIDE A REACTION ZONE AT THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN LITHIUM HAVING A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 200*C. BUT NOT OVER 550*C. WHEN THE TETRABROMIDE IS EMPLOYED AND ABOVE 185*C. BUT NOT OVER 550*C. WHEN THE TETRACHLORIDE IS EMPLOYED, AT A CONTROLLED RATE OF ADDITION SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN IGNITION CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE LIGHIUM AND THE TETRAHALIDE IN SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID BATH HAVING A MELTING POINT OF NOT OVER 550*C. AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MIXTURE OF HALIDES SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL AND ALKALINE EARTH HALIDES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING TITANIUM METAL SPONGE WHICH COMPRISES ADDING DROPWISE A LIQUID TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE TETRABROMIDE AND THE TETRACHLORIDE ONTO MOLTEN LITHIUM METAL PRESENT IN EXCESS OF THE STOIOCHIOMETRIC QUANTITY REQUIRED TO REACT WITH THE TETRAHALIDE AND SUSPENDED AT THE SURFACE OF A MOLTEN SALT BATH, TO PROVIDE A REACTION ZONE AT THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN LITHIUM HAVING A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 200*C. BUT NOT OVER 550*C. WHEN THE TETRABROMIDE IS EMPLOYED AND ABOVE 185*C. BUT NOT OVER 550*C. WHEN THE TETRACHLORIDE IS EMPLOYED, AT A CONTROLLED RATE OF ADDITION SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN IGNITION CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE LIGHIUM AND THE TETRAHALIDE IN SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID BATH HAVING A MELTING POINT OF NOT OVER 550*C. AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MIXTURE OF HALIDES SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL AND ALKALINE EARTH HALIDES.