Conversion of sodium or potassium to its hydroxide of cyanide

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING HYDROGEN AND A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: (A) CONTINUOUSLY CYCLING A STREAM OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SAID HYROXIDE AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 50*C. TO JUST BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF SAID SOLUTION IN A CONFINED CYCLIC FLOW PATH WHICH INCLUDES AS A PART THEREOF A PIPELINE REACTOR THROUGH WHICH SAID SOLUTION IS FORCED, UNDER TURBULENT FLOW AT A VELOCITY OF AT LEAST 1.3FT./SEC.; (B) CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING INTO SAID STREAM IN SAID REACTOR IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID STREAM THEREIN A MOLTEN STREAM OF SAID METAL HAVING INITIALLY A DIAMETER NOT EXCEEDING 1 16 IN. AT A FLOW RATE SUCH THAT THE RELATIVE RATES OF FLOW TO SAID REACTOR OF SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND SAID METAL WILL PROVIDE A WEIGHT RATIO OF WATER TO METAL OF AT LEAST 35/1, THEREBY REACTING IN SAID REACTOR SAID METAL AND SAID SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A TWO-PHASE STREAM OF HYDROGEN AND A SOLUTION OF THE HYDROXIDE OF SAID METAL; (C) CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID TWO-PHASE STREAM INTO A DISENGAGER WHEREBY SAID HYDROGEN IS SEPARATED FROM SAID SOLUTION STREAM, AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE SEPARATED HYDROGEN FROM SAID CYCLIC FLOW PATH; (D) CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM SAID CYCLIC FLOW PATH PART OF THE RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM AS A PRODUCT SOLUTION OF SAID METAL HYDROXIDE; (E) CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM INTO SAID REACTOR AT RIGHT ANGLE TO AND SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT SAID STREAM OF METAL AT ABOUT THE POINT OF INJECTION OF THE LATTER; (F) AND CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING INTO SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM WATER AT SUCH A RATE AS WILL MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE WATER CONTENT OF SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM BEING FED TO SAID REACTOR.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING HYDROGEN AND A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: (A) CONTINUOUSLY CYCLING A STREAM OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SAID HYROXIDE AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 50*C. TO JUST BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF SAID SOLUTION IN A CONFINED CYCLIC FLOW PATH WHICH INCLUDES AS A PART THEREOF A PIPELINE REACTOR THROUGH WHICH SAID SOLUTION IS FORCED, UNDER TURBULENT FLOW AT A VELOCITY OF AT LEAST 1.3FT./SEC.; (B) CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING INTO SAID STREAM IN SAID REACTOR IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID STREAM THEREIN A MOLTEN STREAM OF SAID METAL HAVING INITIALLY A DIAMETER NOT EXCEEDING 1 16 IN. AT A FLOW RATE SUCH THAT THE RELATIVE RATES OF FLOW TO SAID REACTOR OF SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND SAID METAL WILL PROVIDE A WEIGHT RATIO OF WATER TO METAL OF AT LEAST 35/1, THEREBY REACTING IN SAID REACTOR SAID METAL AND SAID SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A TWO-PHASE STREAM OF HYDROGEN AND A SOLUTION OF THE HYDROXIDE OF SAID METAL; (C) CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID TWO-PHASE STREAM INTO A DISENGAGER WHEREBY SAID HYDROGEN IS SEPARATED FROM SAID SOLUTION STREAM, AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE SEPARATED HYDROGEN FROM SAID CYCLIC FLOW PATH; (D) CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM SAID CYCLIC FLOW PATH PART OF THE RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM AS A PRODUCT SOLUTION OF SAID METAL HYDROXIDE; (E) CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE REMAINDER OF SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM INTO SAID REACTOR AT RIGHT ANGLE TO AND SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT SAID STREAM OF METAL AT ABOUT THE POINT OF INJECTION OF THE LATTER; (F) AND CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING INTO SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM WATER AT SUCH A RATE AS WILL MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE WATER CONTENT OF SAID RECYCLE SOLUTION STREAM BEING FED TO SAID REACTOR.