Abstract: Method of forming metal powders from the liquid metal reduction of metal oxides are described. The methods described include the steps of low temperature liquid metal reduction of the oxide, agitation of the reduction reaction mixture and/or distillation of excess reductant upon completion of the reduction step. These steps are designed to limit agglomeration and enhance the purity of the final powder produced. Metal powder produced in accordance with this invention has a basic particle size of 0.1 to 0.5 microns.

Abstract: Organic hydrocarbon materials are produced from plentiful inorganic limestone type materials by: (1) reacting the limestone type materials with molten lithium metal to produce Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 (2) hydrolyzing the Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, (3) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 with steam to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, (4) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 to provide ketene and methane, and separating the ketene. The ketene may then be decomposed to provide methylene, which can be reacted with an alkane, such as methane in an insertion chain reaction, to provide organic hydrocarbon materials. An in-place nuclear reactor can provide energy for the endothermic reactions of the system.

Abstract: Organic hydrocarbon materials are produced from plentiful inorganic limestone type materials by: (1) thermally decomposing the limestone type materials to produce CaO and CO.sub.2, (2) using the CO.sub.2 in a solid electrolyte electrolysis cell to produce CO, (3) catalytically decomposing the CO to produce carbon, (4) reacting the carbon with the CaO produced in step (1), to produce CaC.sub.2, (5) hydrolyzing the CaC.sub.2 toi produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, (6) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 with steam to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, (7) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 to provide ketene and methane, and separating the ketene. The ketene may then be decomposed to provide methylene, which can be reacted with an alkane, such as methane in an insertion chain reaction, to provide organic hydrocarbon materials. An in-place nuclear reactor can provide energy for the endothermic reactions of the system.

Abstract: A method for producing a metal by reduction of a metal halide characterized by the steps of feeding into a plasma such as the arc heated stream of an arc heater, a quantity of a reducing metal such as an alkali or alkaline earth metal, feeding into the plasma a quantity of a metal halide, maintaining the temperature of the reaction chamber wall higher than the vapor point of the alkali metal chloride formed or alkaline earth metal chloride formed but lower than the melting point of the elemental metal, co-products formed being an elemental metal and a gaseous salt, projecting the co-products into the reaction chamber to cause the metal to deposit on the interior wall of the collection chamber, removing the gaseous salt, heating the metal deposited on the interior of the reaction chamber with the arc heated stream thereby causing the elemental metal to fall gravitationally or be blown into an associated receptacle in the form of solidified globules and/or crystals and/or granules and/or large diameter powders.

Abstract: A method of producing H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2 gases comprises the steps of drying a hydrocarbon biomass material to remove water without carbonization, reacting the dried hydrocarbon biomass with a stoichiometric excess of molten lithium metal to produce lithium salts comprising LiH and Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 and then hydrolyzing the lithium salts to produce a gaseous mixture comprising H.sub.2 and C.sub.2 H.sub.2.

Abstract: A niobium or vanadium membrane, which resists lithium corrosion and exhibits significant hydrogen permeation at temperatures of about 500.degree. C. or higher, is employed in a membrane/meter device for measuring the hydrogen in a lithium/hydrogen solution.

Abstract: A passive decay heat removal system in which gas pressurization of a gap between the double walls of heat exchanger tubes initiates heat removal by triggering an increase in tube heat conductivity.