Continuous process for producing magnesium metal from magnesium chloride including fused bath electrolysis

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF MAGNESIUM METAL AND CHLORINE GAS FROM MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, WHICH COMPRISES: PROGRESSIVELY FEEDING SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE SALT INTO A MELT CELL AND FUSING THEREIN TO A MOLTEN STATE, DISCHARGING SAID MOLTEN SALT INTO A CHARGING CELL FOR ADMIXTURE WITH A MOLTEN METAL CHLORIDE SALT CONTAINING A SALT OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER METAL, FEEDING THE MOLTEN SALT ADMIXTURE FROM SAID CHARGING CELL THENCE INTO A FEEDER MANIFOLD AND THENCE DISTRIBUTIVELY INTO A SERIES OF ELECTROLYSIS CELLS HAVING OVERFLOW OUTLETS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING MOLTEN BATHS OF SAID SALT ADMIXTURE THEREIN, ELECTROLYZING SAID MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE CONSTITUENT THEREIN INTO MOLTEN MAGNESIUM METAL AND CHLORINE GAS, WITHDRAWING SAID GAS AS FORMED FROM SAID CELLS INTO A COLLECTING CONDUIT, AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING AS OVERFLOW FROM SAID CELLS AND INTO A COLLECTOR MANIFOLD, SAID MOLTEN METAL AS FORMED TOGETHER WITH A PORTION OF THE MOLTEN SALT OF EACH SAID CELL, DELIVERING THE CONTENTS OF SAID COLLECTOR MANIFOLD INTO A REFINING CELL AND SEPARATING SAID MOLTEN METAL FROM SAID FUSED SALT THEREIN, AND RECYCLING THE MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE DEPLETED MOLTEN SALT FROM SAID REFINING CELL INTO SAID CHARGING CELL FOR ADMIXTURE WITH ADDITIONAL MOLTEN MAGANESIUM CHLORIDE SALT SUPPLIED FROM SAID METAL CELL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF MAGNESIUM METAL AND CHLORINE GAS FROM MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, WHICH COMPRISES: PROGRESSIVELY FEEDING SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE SALT INTO A MELT CELL AND FUSING THEREIN TO A MOLTEN STATE, DISCHARGING SAID MOLTEN SALT INTO A CHARGING CELL FOR ADMIXTURE WITH A MOLTEN METAL CHLORIDE SALT CONTAINING A SALT OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER METAL, FEEDING THE MOLTEN SALT ADMIXTURE FROM SAID CHARGING CELL THENCE INTO A FEEDER MANIFOLD AND THENCE DISTRIBUTIVELY INTO A SERIES OF ELECTROLYSIS CELLS HAVING OVERFLOW OUTLETS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING MOLTEN BATHS OF SAID SALT ADMIXTURE THEREIN, ELECTROLYZING SAID MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE CONSTITUENT THEREIN INTO MOLTEN MAGNESIUM METAL AND CHLORINE GAS, WITHDRAWING SAID GAS AS FORMED FROM SAID CELLS INTO A COLLECTING CONDUIT, AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING AS OVERFLOW FROM SAID CELLS AND INTO A COLLECTOR MANIFOLD, SAID MOLTEN METAL AS FORMED TOGETHER WITH A PORTION OF THE MOLTEN SALT OF EACH SAID CELL, DELIVERING THE CONTENTS OF SAID COLLECTOR MANIFOLD INTO A REFINING CELL AND SEPARATING SAID MOLTEN METAL FROM SAID FUSED SALT THEREIN, AND RECYCLING THE MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE DEPLETED MOLTEN SALT FROM SAID REFINING CELL INTO SAID CHARGING CELL FOR ADMIXTURE WITH ADDITIONAL MOLTEN MAGANESIUM CHLORIDE SALT SUPPLIED FROM SAID METAL CELL.