Processes for preparing metal alkyls and alkoxides

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING METAL ALKOXIDES FROM SOLID PHASE METALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, MAGNESIUM, SODIUM AND LITHIUM, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, FORMING A PACKING OF SAID METAL WITHIN A COLUMN, HEATING A QUANITY OF ALCOHOL WHICH IS IN THE LIQUID PHASE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND HAVING A BOILING POINT BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID METAL AND LOCATED WITHIN A CONTAINER DISPOSED AT THE BASE OF SAID COLUMN AND SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM SAID SOLID PHASE METAL, SUPPLYING VAPOR PHASE ALCOHOL PRODUCED IN FRACTIONAL AMOUNTS BY SAID HEATING TO SAID PACKING AND EFFECTING AT LEAST PARTIAL ALKOXIDATION OF SAID AMOUNTS WITHIN SAID PACKING, CONDENSING THE REMAINDER OF VAPORIZED AND UNREACTED ALCOHOL AND RETURNING IT COUNTERCURRENTLY THROUGH SAID PACKING TO PROVIDE SELF-REGULATION OF THE RATE OF PRODUCTION OF THE ALKOXIDE WITHIN THE PACKING AND TO ABSTRACT HEAT FROM WITHIN THE COLUMN AT A RATE MAINTAINING THE PACKING IN ITS SOLID PHASE CONDITION, REMOVING THE METAL ALKOXIDE PRODUCED WITHIN THE COLUMN BY THE COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF UNREACTED ALCOHOL FOR ITS RETURN TO SAID CONTAINER, VENTING THE LIBERATED HYDROGEN FROM SAID COLUMN TO RELIEVE SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE WITHIN SAID COLUMN AND CONTINUING TO HEAT SAID ALCOHOL TO EFFECT SUCCESSIVELY ITS FRACTIONAL VAPORIZATION AND SUCCESSIVE REACTION WHEREBY SAID ALCOHOL IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONVERTED BY DEGREES TO METAL ALKOXIDE WHEREBY THE COMPOSITION IN SAID CONTAINER IN CONVERTED BY DEGREES FROM SUBSTANTIALLY PURE ALCOHOL TO SUBSTANTIALLY PURE ALKOXIDE.