Production of rare earth metals

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING RARE-EARTH METALS COMPRISING PREPARATION OF AN INTIMATE ADMIXTURE OF ONE OXIDE OF A RARE EARTH METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SAMARIUM, NEODYMIUM, EUROPIUM, DYSPROSIUM, HOLMINUM, ERBIUM AND THULIUM, AND AN AMOUNT OF CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT IN EXCESS OFF THAT AMOUNT REQUIRED TO STOICHIOMETRICALLY REACT WITH ALL THE OXYGEN OF THE OXIDES IN THE ADMIXTURE; CHARGING SAID ADMIXTURE INTO A VACUUM FURNACE; EVACUATING AND MAINTAINING SAID VACUUM FURNACE AT A PRESSURE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 1.0 MICRON AND INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAID VACUUM FURNACE TO A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LEVEL TO CAUSE A REDUCTION OF SAID SELECTED RAREEARTH METAL OXIDE BY SAID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT, FORMATION OF SAD SELECTED RARE-EARTH METAL AND VOLATIZATION OF SAID SELECTED RARE EARTH METAL TO PRODUCE A FIRSTVAPOR OF SAID SELECTED RARE EARTH METAL AND A FIRST-RESIDUE; CONDUCTING SAID FIRST VAPOR OF SAID SELECTED RARE EARTH METAL TO A VACUUM CONDENSING ZONE WHEREIN THE CONDENSING SURFACE OF THE SAID CONDENSING ZONE IS A GRAPHITE CONDENSING SURFACE AND ALLOWING THE CONDENSATION OF SAID FIRST-VAPOR ON SAID GRAPHITE CONDENSING SURFACE TO FORM A FIRST-CONDENSATE, SAID FIRST-CONDENSATE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPRISED OF THE CARBIDE OF SAID SELECTED RARE:EARTH METAL; AND SUBJECTING SAID FIRST-CONDENSATE TO A VOLATIZATION STEP COMPRISING EVACUATING AND MAINTAINING SAID VACUUM FURNACE AT PRESSURE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 1.0 MICRON AND INCREASING THE TEMEPRATURE OF SAID VACUUM FURANCE TO A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LEVEL TO CAUSE VOLATIZATION TO OCCUR THEREBY PRODUCING A SECOND-VAPOR OF SAID SELECTED RARE EARTH METAL AND SECOND-RESIDUE; AND CONDUCTING SAID SECOND-VAPOR TO A CONDENSING ZONE WHEREIN THE CONDENSING SURFACE IS A METALLIC CONDENSING SURFACE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TANTALUM AND MOLYBDENUM AND CAUSING CONDENSATION OF SAID SECOND-VAPOR ON SAID METALLIC CONDENSING SURFACE TO FFORM A SECOND-CONDENSATE, SAID SECOND-CONDENSATE BEING COMPRISED ESSENTIALLY OF THE PUR METAL OF THE SAID SELECTED RARE-EARTH OXIDE.