The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of

Charles F Davidson

Monte B Shirts

Donna D Harbuck

A process for producing substantially oxygen-free titanium carbide, nitride or carbonitride in powder form comprises treating a gas phase reaction mixture of titanium halide, desirably TiCl.sub.4, a reductant vapor, desirably sodium or magnesium, and a reactive gas capable of furnishing carbon, nitrogen or mixtures thereof at the reaction temperature, desirably nitrogen, methane or ammonia, to a temperature in the range from 500.degree. to 1250.degree. C., preferably 800.degree. to 1100.degree. C., whereby the titanium halide is substantially simultaneously reduced and carbided, nitrided or carbonitrided. The process may also be practiced using volatile metal halides of metals such as zironium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum and silicon for forming substantially oxygen-free carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides thereof in powder form.

Production of titanium nitride, carbide, and carbonitride powders

Metals are extracted from mixtures of oxides or silicates by reacting the mixture at elevated temperature with a gaseous chlorinating agent comprising a mixture of water vapor and hydrogen chloride to selectively chlorinate the desired metal or metals.

Extraction of metals from mixtures of oxides or silicates

Lithium is recovered from low-grade ores, such as clays, by addition of CaO or CaCO.sub.3 and chlorination with H.sub.2 O-HCl vapor to convert the lithium to soluble LiCl.

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Layton, UT, United States of America

Charles F Davidson