Patent ID: 6210461
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: C22B

Abstract:
An improved process for forming a desired product metal by molten salt-molten metal reaction comprising:(a) providing a product-source compound that includes atoms of said desired product metal, said compound, if undecomposed, being little soluble in a selected molten salt phase,(b) providing said selected molten salt phase,(c) providing a first reductant material capable of reducing said product-source compound to a chemical form that is soluble in said selected molten salt,(d) interacting said product-source compound and said first reductant material in the presence of said selected molten salt to form dissolved product-source ions of said desired metal,(e) providing a molten reductant metal that can react to reduce said dissolved product-source ions to product-metal,(f) bringing said selected molten salt phase holding said dissolved product-source ions and said molten reductant metal into contact, thereby allowing said reducing reaction to form said product-source ions into said desired product metal, and(g) separating and recovering said desired product metal from said molten salt phase.