Reduction of metal halides

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BERYLLIUM, BORON SCANDIUM, YTTRIUM, SILICON, TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, THORIUM, VANADIUM, NIOBIUM, TANTALUM, CHROMIUM, MOLYBDENUM, TUNGSTEN COMPRISING REACTING AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE WITHIN AN EXTERNALLY COOLED, RELATIVELY RESTRICTED REACTION ZONE OF A REACTOR, A HALIDE OF SAID ELEMENT AND A REDUCING METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI AND ALKALINE EARTH METALS AND MAGNESIUM, EFFECTING SAID REACTION BY CHARGING SAID REACTANTS WHILE IN LIQUID STATE UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID ZONE, AND INITIALLY REACTING THEM THEREIN AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, FORMING THE RESULTING ELEMENTAL REACTION PRODUCT AS A SOLID DEPOSIT ON THE INNER WALL SURFACES OF SAID ZONE AND CONTINUING THE REACTION AND PRESSURE ADDITION OF REACTANTS TO DECREASE THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE REACTION ZONE THROUGH PROGRESSIVE BUILD-UP THEREON OF SAID PRODUCT AND TO INCREASE THE REACTION ZONE PRESSURE TO A MINIMUM AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE BY-PRODUCT REDUCING METAL HALIDE REACTION PRODUCT FORMED AT THE MELTING POINT OF SAID ELEMENTAL PRODUCT, CONTINUING THE REACTANT UNDER THE DYNAMICALLY STABILIZED REACTION ZONE CONDITIONS OF CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE AND FORMING SAID ELEMENTAL PRODUCT IN LIQUID STATE AND SAID REDUCING METAL HALIDE BY-PRODUCT IN FLUID FORM, DISCHARGING THE RESULTING LIQUID AND FLUID REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A COLLECTION ZONE MAINTAINED UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND AN INERT ATMOSPHERE, AND RECOVERING THE FUSED ELEMENTAL PRODUCT FROM THE METAL HALIDE BY-PRODUCT DISCHARGED INTO SAID COLLECTION ZONE.