Process for producing titanium disulfide

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TITANIUM DISULFIDE BY HEATING TO AT LEAST ABOUT 650* C. A MIXTURE OF FINELYDIVIDED TITANIUM AND FINELY-DIVEDED SULFUR TO INITIATE THE TITANIUM DISULFIDE-FORMING REACTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AN EXCESS OF SULFUR IN AN AMOUNT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 5 AND ABOUT 30 WEIGHT PERCENT OVER THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT THEREOF NECESSARY TO PRODUCE TITANIUM DISULFIDE AND ADDING TO THE MIXTURE OF TITANIUM AND SULFUR, PRIOR TO THE INITIATION OF THE TITANIUM DISULFIDE-FORMING REACTION, AT LEAST ONE TEMPERATURECONTROLLING SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES HAVING A BOILING POINT OF AT LEAST 1100*C., SAID SALT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT BETWEEN ABOUT 30 AND ABOUT 50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE TOTAL MIXTURE OF TITANIUM, SULFUR AND SAID TEMPERATURE CONTROLLING SALT.