Production of tetrachloropalladates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TETRACHPOROPALLADATE SALT OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM, LITHIUM, CALCIUM, BARIUM AND ZINC COMPRISING REACTING METALLIC PALLADIUM WITH AT LEAST ONE MOLE EQUIVALENT WEIGHT OF GASEOUS CHLORINE AND UP TO ABOUT TWO MOLE EQUIVALENT WEIGHTS OF GASEOUS CHLORINE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A CHLORIDE OF A METAL OF SAID GROUP WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE LIQUID RANGE OF WATER AND NOT EXCESS OF ABOUT 83$ C. AND WHILE MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE AT LEAST ABOUT ONE ATMOSPHERE TO DISSOLVE SAID METALLIC PALLADIUM AND PRODUCE A PALLADIUM-CONTAINING SOLUTION, ADDING TO THE PALLADIUM-CONTAINING SOLUTION SO PRODUCED AN AMOUNT OFF METALLIC PALLADIUM SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT AMOUNT OF PALLADIUM PRESENT IN SOLUTION AS THE HEXACHLOROPALLADATE ION, ALLOWING THE REATION OF THE METALLIC PALLADIUM WITH THE SOLUTION COMPONENTS TO PROCEED TO SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION TO DISSOLVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ADDED METALLIC PALLADIUM AND, THEREAFTER, DECOMPOSING BY HEATING ANY RESIDUAL HEXACHLOROPALLADATE ION TO FORM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF TETRACHLOROPALLADATE ION HAVING A PH VALUE GREATER THAN ABOUT 3.