Abstract: Titanium metal is produced using titanium dioxide as the starting material. A molten metal collection pool is first prepared in a reaction vessel from zinc and calcium. A molten salt mixture is then added to the vessel comprised of a mixture of calcium chloride and calcium fluoride. The titanium oxide starting material is then added along with additional calcium and the contents are mechanically stirred while maintaining at a temperature of about 800.degree. C. The titanium reacts spontaneously with the calcium, producing titanium powder and calcium oxide. The titanium becomes embedded in the molten zinc pool and settles to the bottom of the vessel, where it is removed and the titanium separated from the zinc by vacuum distillation or a suitable electrochemical process. The same process applies for producing zirconium from zirconium dioxide.

Abstract: A method is provided for the electrolytic production of aluminum metal from aluminum trichloride starting material. A molten electrolytic solution of mixed chloride-fluoride salts is formed in a reaction vessel into which the aluminum trichloride feed material is added. The fluoride component of the electrolyte reacts spontaneously with the aluminum trichloride, producing aluminum fluoride and a chloride salt. The aluminum fluoride is advantageously stored in a non-volatile state in solution in the electrolyte. The aluminum fluoride is then electrolytically reduced to yield aluminum metal and a fluoride salt.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the production of magnesium in which a magnesium chloride (which may be partially dehydrated) and/or magnesium oxide-containing feedstock is reacted with an electrolyte consisting essentially of magnesium cations, lithium and/or calcium cations, and fluoride and chloride anions, whereby the magnesium chloride and/or magnesium oxide react with and dissolve in the electrolyte, and lithium or calcium initially is produced electrochemically and transiently at the cathode and reacts chemically with magnesium cations in the electrolyte to produce magnesium metal. Thus, the method essentially involves a first electrochemical step to produce lithium or calcium metal and a subsequent second chemical step in which lithium or calcium reacts with magnesium fluoride in the electrolyte to produce magnesium metal.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the electrolytic production of magnesium utilizing magnesium oxide and/or partially dehydrated magnesium chloride as a feedstock. An electrolyte containing magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and optionally sodium chloride is employed so that magnesium is produced. The magnesium is absorbed into a molten magnesium alloy cathode layer underlying the MgCl.sub.2 -KCl electrolyte. In a bipolar embodiment, pure magnesium is electrolytically transported from the magnesium alloy through a second molten salt electrolyte to an overlying electrode where the magnesium collects as a pool on the second electrolyte.

Abstract: Magnesium oxide or suitable precursors of magnesium oxide may be dissolved in a molten salt bath comprising magnesium cations, rare earth element cations and fluoride anions and the resultant magnesium containing bath electrolyzed so as to produce a magnesium-rare earth element alloy. While such magnesium-rare earth element alloy has utility as is, electrolytic and chemical practices are also disclosed for reducing the rare earth element content of the magnesium alloy.

Abstract: An electrolytic process is provided for extracting magnesium metal from magnesium-containing aluminum alloys, in which magnesium oxide which is inherently and undesirably formed during electrolytic demagging of an aluminum alloy is destroyed in situ, and a regenerating process is performed within the same electrolytic demagging cell. The magnesium oxide is reacted with a rare earth chloride within the electrolyte to form magnesium chloride and rare earth oxychloride, which are then electrochemically decomposed to form rare earth chloride and molten magnesium which can be recovered from the demagging cell. Intermittent regeneration of the electrolyte substantially re-establishes the original electrolyte formulation. Thereafter, the demagging cell again reverts to the demagging process by which the aluminum alloy is electrolytically demagged to form molten magnesium metal.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the calcium reduction of rare earth fluorides, especially neodymium and/or praseodymium fluorides, in a minimum volume stirred molten calcium chloride reaction medium that produces high yield, high quality rare earth alloy with a calcium fluoride byproduct that can be recycled to generate more rare earth fluoride starting material.

Abstract: In the pyrochemical reduction of uranium dioxide or other actinide metal oxides by reaction with magnesium, magnesium oxide byproduct is produced. The use of a salt flux comprising magnesium chloride and a rare earth element trichloride such as neodymium chloride is disclosed. The neodymium chloride reacts with magnesium oxide to form magnesium chloride and neodymium oxychloride. The resulting magnesium chloride-neodymium oxychloride salt mixture can readily be subjected to electrolysis to regenerate magnesium and neodymium chloride for reuse in the pyrochemical reduction process. Other uses of the magnesium chloride-neodymium chloride salt flux are also proposed.

Abstract: A method is provided for the electrolytic production of magnesium metal. The method is highly economical in that the method permits the use of magnesium oxide as a feed stock for the electrolytic process. The method uses a rare earth chloride as a constituent of the electrolyte bath. The rare earth chloride spontaneously reacts with the magnesium oxide to form magnesium chloride. The magnesium chloride can then be electrolyzed using standard electrolysis methods. The avoidance of using magnesium chloride as the feed stock to the process eliminates the substantial costs involved with producing and purifying magnesium chloride from natural sources. In addition, the rare earth chloride continuously reacts with any magnesium oxide from any source which may form during the process to prevent a sludge from forming within the electrolyte, such that the process efficiently produces magnesium metal with no losses attributable to sludge formation.

Abstract: Mixtures of a rare earth and an intermetallic compound comprising the rare earth and a ferromagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of iron and cobalt which are formed by the reduction-diffusion process are decalcified by washing with an aqueous ammoniacal solution comprising a reagent capable of forming a calcium salt soluble in alkaline solution and maintaining the pH of the washing solution above 9.0.

Abstract: Rare earth chlorides and oxychlorides can be reduced to substantially pure rare earth metals by a novel, high yield, metallothermic process. The rare earth chloride feedstock is dispersed in a vessel containing a suitable molten chloride salt bath and a molten metal collection pool. Enough sodium, potassium and/or calcium is added to the bath to produce a stoichiometric excess of calcium metal with respect to the rare earth. The bath is stirred such that the calcium metal reduces the rare earth feedstock. Stirring is stopped and the reduced rare earth metal is collected in the metal pool in the reaction vessel.

Abstract: Rare earth oxides can be reduced to rare earth metals by a novel, high yield, metallothermic process. The oxides are dispersed in a suitable, molten, calcium chloride bath along with sodium metal. The sodium reacts with the calcium chloride to produce calcium metal which reduces the rare earth oxides to rare earth metals. The metals are collected in a discrete layer in the reaction vessel.

Abstract: Decontaminating an aluminum melt by chlorination wherein the melt is blanketed with a layer of molten flux containing calcium oxide to consume any Cl.sub.2 and/or AlCl.sub.3 offgasses from the melt.

Abstract: Boron nitride (BN) is freed of boric oxide without increasing its electroconductivity by heating the BN under vacuum to evaporate the boric oxide and chlorinating the BN at a temperature sufficient to remove any elemental boron as boron trichloride.

Abstract: In an electrochemical cell having a molybdenum terminal rod extending through a metallic housing, a feedthrough assembly for insulating the terminal rod from and bonding it to the housing. The assembly comprises an insulating body of aluminum nitride, yittria or mixtures thereof surrounding the rod. The terminal rod is welded to a molybdenum ring integrally bonded to the insulating body. Also integrally bonded to the insulating body is a second molybdenum ring, which is electrically insulated from the first ring and is employed to attach the insulator to the housing. In a preferred embodiment, the construction is employed in a lithium-iron sulfide cell to hermetically seal the terminal rod to the housing.