Upgrading of oxidic columbiumtantalum materials

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR INCREASING THE COLUMBIUM-TO-TANTALUM RATIO IN COLUMBIUM ALLOYS OVER THE COLUMGIUM-TO-TANTALUM RATIO IN OXIDIC COLUMGIUM-TANTALUM STARTING MATERIALS COMPRISING ADMIXING A COLUMBIUM-TANTALUM OXIDIC STARTING MATERIAL, SUFFICIENT FLUXING AGENTS TO MAINTAIN A SLAG HAVING AT LEAST ONE OF THE WEIGHT RATIOS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WEIGHT RATIOS FROM ABOUT 1.0 TO ABOUT 2.0 OF CAO PLUS MGO TO SIO2 AND FROM ABOUT 1.2 TO ABOUT 0.60 OF CAO PLUS MGO TO AL2O3, MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON OXIDES, IRON, NICKEL OXIDES AND NICKEL AND AT LEAST ONE REDUCING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, SILICON AND ALLOYS CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM AND SILICON WHEREIN SAID REDUCING AGENT IS SUPPLIED IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM ABOUT 40 PERCENT TO 90 PERCENT OF THE EFFECTIVE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF REDUCING AGENT REQUIRED TO REDUCE ALL THE SAID COLUMBIUM AND TANTALUM OXIDES TO COLUMBIUM AND TANTALUM METAL; HEATING THE ADMIXTURE TO A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO FUSE SAID ADMIXTURE AND TO CAUSE REDUCTION OF SAID COLUMBIUM OXIDE IN THE ADMIXTURE WHEREBY A COLUMBIUM ALLOY IS PRODUCED, SAID COLLUMBIUM ALLOY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER RATIO OF COLUMBIUM TO TANTALUM THAN SAID COLUMBIUM-TANTALUM OXIDIC STARTING MATERIAL.