Process for the thermal production of magnesium

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF INCREASING THE RATE OF RECOVERY AND YIELD OF MAGNESIUM FROM A POROUS MAGNESIUM OXIDECONTAINING SUBSTANCE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CALCINING WITHOUT SINTERING MAGNESIUM OXIDE-CONTAINING SUBSTANCE OF A GRAIN SIZE FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO 20 MM. IN THE PRESENCE OF CALCIUM OXIDE, MIXING SAID CALCINED MATERIAL WITH A COMMINUTED FERRO-SILICON REDUCING AGENT WHEREIN THE SILICON CONTENT OF SAID REDUCING AGENT IS FROM ABOUT 40-75% BY WEIGHT, INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE IN THE GRANULAR FORM INTO A VACUUM DISTILLATION ZONE, SUBSTANTIALLY RETAINING THE HEAT CONTENT OF THE MAGNESIUM OXIDE-CONTAINING SUBSTANCE DURING THE MIXING AND INTRODUCTION STEPS TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF IMPURITIES WITHIN THE MIXTURE WHICH ARE NORMALLY FORMED UPON COOLING OF THE OXIDE-CONTAINING SUBSTANCES, IMMEDIATELY HEATING SAID INTRODUCED MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE SOLIDIFYING POINT OF ADMIXED REDUCING AGENT, CONDENSING AND COLLECTING RESULTING MAGNESIUM VAPOR WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE INTRODUCED MIXTURE ABOVE THE SOLIDIFYING POINT OF MIXED REDUCING AGENT, AND DISCONTINUING SAID HEATING WHEN THE SILICON CONTENT OF THE HEATED FERROSILICON REDUCING AGENT OBTAINS A VALUE OF FROM ABOUT 2033% BY WEIGHT.