Method for production of metal fabrications

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF METAL PRODUCTS OF THOSE METALLIC ELEMENTS HAVING A STANDARD ELECTRODE POTENTIAL FALLING BETWEEN ABOUT 1.2 AND ABOUT MINUS 0.85, WHICH COMPRISES: CONTACTING AN OXIDIZED FORM OF SAID METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COMMINUTED METAL ORES AND MATERIALS CONTAINING REDUCIBLE METAL VALUES AND SILICATE GLASS FORMING FLUXING AGENT WITH AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE AND A SOLID CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT AT TEMPERATURES FROM ABOUT 450 TO ABOUT 1225* CENTIGRADE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO YIELD THE SOLID METAL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM UNDESIRABLE GESEOUS INCLUSIONS SUSPENDED IN A CONTINUOUS, FUSED ALKALI METAL SILICATE GLASS-LIKE THERMOPLASTIC SLAG, SEPARATING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LESS DENSE SLAG, WHILE IN THE MOLTEN STATE, FROM THE SOLID METAL PRODUCT; HEATING SAID SOLID METAL PRODUCT INTO THE MOLTEN STATE WHEREBY THE METAL IS COMPACTED INTO A CONTINUOUS MASS AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PROTECTIVE ALKALI METAL SILICATE GLASSLIKE SLAG ENVELOPING SAID MASS RISES TO THE SURFACE OF THE MELT THEREBY PROVIDING A PROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE SUBSTANTIALLY GAS-FREE METAL DURING THE MELTING OPERATION, AND CASTING SAID MOLTEN METAL.