Preparation of reactive metal solutions by electrodeposition methods

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PREPARATION OF A MOLTEN SOLUTION OF AT LEAST TWO METALS COMPRISING: (A) DISSOLVING METAL OXIDES OF SAID AT LEAST TWO METALS IN A MOLTEN SALT ELECTROLYTE, ONE OF SAID AT LEAST TWO METALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THORIUM, URANIUM, TITANIUM, YTTRIUM, LANTHANUMM AND CERIUM, AND ANOTHER OF SAID AT LEAST TWO METALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COPPER, TIN AND IRON, SAID MOLTEN SALT ELECTROLYTE COMPRISING A FLUORIDE OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID AT LEAST TWO METALS AND A FLUORIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL FLUORIDE AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL FLUORIDES; (B) ELECTROLYTICALLY REDUCING SAID METAL OXIDES DISSOLVED IN SAID ELECTROLYTE; (C) ELECTRO-CODEPOSITING SAID REDUCED METAL OXIDES AS A MOLTEN SOLUTION OF SAID AT LEAST TWO METALS ON A NONREACTIVE CATHODE IN CONTACT WITH SAID MOLTEN SALT ELECTROLYTE, SAID ELECTROLYTE BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN SAID DEPOSITED METALS IN A MOLTEN CONDITION; (D) PASSING SAID MOLTEN METAL SOLUTION WHICH DEPOSITS ON SAID CATHODE TO A COLLECTION ZONE.