Process of producing fluorine compounds from fluorine-containing minerals and the like

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF PRODUCING FLUORIDE COMPOUNDS AND AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL CARBIDE, THE STEPS WHICH CONSIST IN ELECTRICALLY MELTING A DRY, SUBSTANTIALLY ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS-FREE ALKALINE EARTH METAL FLUORIDE WITH CARBON AND SILICA, THE AMOUNT OF SAID SILICA BEING INSUFFICIENT TO REACT AND COMBINE WITH ALL THE FLUORINE PRESENT IN SAID FLUORIDE, THE AMOUNT OF SAID CARBON BEING SUFFICIENT TO REACT AND COMBINE WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE FLUORINE IN SAID FLUORIDE AND WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL PRESENT IN SAID FLUORIDE, WITHDRAWING THE RESULTING GASEOUS SILICON TETRAFLUORIDE AND CARBON TETRAFLUORIDE AND THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL CARBIDE SLAG FORMED ON SUCH MELTING FROM THE MELTING CHAMBER, SUCCESSIVELY PASSING THE GASEOUS FLUORIDE COMPOUND THROUGH AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF CLAY TO YIELD ALUMINUM FLUORIDE, THROUGH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SODIUM CARBONATE TO YIELD A SODIUM FLUORIDE, AND THROUGH AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF CALCIUM OXIDE TO COMPLETELY FREE THE WASTE GASES OF FLUORINE.