Patent ID: 7527669

Claim:
A process for reducing a target metal oxide to elemental metal comprising: coarsely grinding a quantity of a target metal oxide comprising an elemental metal and placing the coarsely-ground quantity of the target metal oxide in a vessel; while in a non-reactive atmosphere, coarsely grinding a quantity of a reactive metal and placing the coarsely-ground quantity of the reactive metal in the vessel, wherein the reactive metal is a metal that reacts exothermally in a displacement reaction when heated with the target metal oxide, and wherein the reactive metal has a predominant stable oxide that is more chemically stable than the target metal oxide; while providing a non-reactive atmosphere in the vessel, substantially mixing the quantity of target metal oxide with the quantity of reactive metal in the vessel; while in an environment of the non-reactive atmosphere, heating the contents of the vessel to a first temperature sufficient to reduce at least a portion of the target metal oxide to the elemental metal and to oxidize at least a portion of the reactive metal to the predominant stable oxide; heating the contents of the vessel to a second temperature sufficient to substantially melt the elemental metal and to melt the predominant stable oxide of the reactive metal.