Production of columbium and tantalum

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MASSIVE SHAPED METAL AGGREGATES OF AT LEAST ONE REFRACTORY METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COLUMBIUM AND TANTALUM COMPRISING, PREPARING A MIXTURE OF CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT WITH AN OXIDE OF SAID SELECTED REFRACTORY METAL, SAID OXIDE OF SAID REFRACTORY METAL BEING PRESENT IN STOICHIOMETRIC EXCESS UP TO ABOUT 15 PERCENT OVER STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTIONS OF THE CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT EMPLOYED, SAID OXIDE OF SAID REFRACTORY METAL AND SAID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT HAVING A PARTICLE SIZES WITHIN THE RANGE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1 AND 40 MICRNS, COMPACTING SAID MIXTURE TO A MASSIVE SHAPE AT A PRESSURE OF UP TO ABOUT 1500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH; HEATING SAID MIXTURE, UNDER VACUUM CONDITIONS, AT A RATE UP TO ABOUT 300*C. PER HOUR TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 2000*C. AND THE MELTING POINT OF THE METAL BEING PRDUCED UNTIL SUBSTANTIAL EVOLUTION OF GAS CASES TO PRODUCE SAID PURE MASSIVE SHAPED METAL AGGREGATE; SAID VACUUM CONDITIONS BEING ABOUT 500 MILLIMETERS OF MERCURY; AND COOLING SAID METAL UNDER NON-CONTAMINATING CONDITIONS.