Fused bath electrolytic process of producing alkali metal vapor

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A VAPOR OF METALLIC ALKALI METAL WHICH COMPRISES MELTING ALKALI METAL SALT IN A SALTFUSING ZONE TO PROVIDE A BODY OF FUSED ALKALI METAL SALT, INTRODUCING A STREAM OF SAID FUSED ALKALI METAL SALT AND A STREAM OF FUSED LEAD INTO ONE END OF A HORIZONTAL AIR-FREE AND AIR-TIGHT ELECTROLYSIS ZONE, SAID STREAM OF FUSED LEAD BEING INTRODUCED ALONG THE BOTTOM OF SAID ELECTROLYSIS ZONE AND SAID STREAM OF FUSED ALKALI METAL BEING INTRODUCED AT A LEVEL SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM TO MAINTAIN A POOL OF SAID FUSED SALT IN SAID ELECTROLYSIS ZONE AT SAID LEVEL, SAID STREAM OF SALT AND SAID STREAM OF LEAD BEING INTRODUCED UNDER AIR-FREE AND MOISTURE-FREE CONDITONS, ELECTROLYZING SAID FUSED ALKALI METAL SALT IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID FUSED LEAD BY CAUSING SAID FUSED SALT AND FUSED LEAD TO FLOW THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL ELECTROLYSIS ZONE FROM SAID END OF SAID ELELCTROLYSIS ZONE WHILE SAID LEAD IS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF AN ELECTROLYTIC CURRENT, THE HEAVY FUSED LEAD FLOWING ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE ELECTROLYSIS CHAMBER AND SERVING AS THE CATHODE, WITH THE LIGHTER FUSED ALKALI METAL SALT FLOATING ON TOP OF THE LEAD AND SERVING AS THE ELECTROLYTE, WHEREBY TO FORM A MOLTEN ALKALI METAL-LEAD ALLOY FROM SAID FUSED LEAD, WITHDRAWING THE MOLTEN ALLOY FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID ELECTROLYSIS ZONE AND INTRODUCING SAID MOLTEN ALLOY INTO A VAPORIZATION ZONE, EVAPORATING THE ALKALI METAL FROM THE LEAD ALLOY AS A VAPOR OF METALLIC ALKALI METAL IN SAID VAPORIZATION ZONE TO REMOVE AT MOST ABOUT 50% OF THE ALKALI METAL FROM SAID ALLOY, RECOVERING THE PORTION OF THE MOLTEN ALLOY REMAINING AFTER VAPORIZATIN OF SAID ALKALI METAL WHILE IN HEATED CONDITION, PASSING SAID PORTION OF MOLTEN ALLOY THROUGH SAID SALT-FUSING ZONE TO UTILIZE THE HEAT THEREOF TO FUSE SAID SALT, AND RETURNING SAID PORTION TO SAID ONE END OF SAID ELECTROLYSIS ZONE ALONG THE BOTTOM THEREOF TO FORM SAID CATHODE.