Title: Titanium or zirconium reduction process by arc heater

Abstract: A process for reducing a metal from a metal halide characterized by the steps of feeding into the arc heated stream of an arc heater a quantity of a reactant metal such as an alkali or alkaline-earth metal, feeding into the arc stream a quantity of a metal halide, which metal has a melting point higher than the boiling point of the co-product salt formed by reduction of the metal, the co-products being a liquid elemental metal and a gaseous salt, projecting the co-products into a reaction chamber tangentially to cause the liquid metal to separate centrifugally from the lighter, gaseous salt, and depositing the liquid metal in an associated receptacle.

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Inventors: Fey, Maurice G. (Plum Borough, PA, US)

Application Number: 745728
Filing Date: 1976-11-26
Publication_date: 1978-03-21
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Pittsburgh, PA)
Primary Class(es): 75/10.19 75/10.28
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2816828	Dec, 1957	Benedict	75/84.
3825415	Jul, 1974	Johnston	75/84.
3843351	Oct, 1974	Smith	75/10.
3893845	Jul, 1975	Mahaffey	75/10.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Rosenberg, P. D.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Johns; L. P.