The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 11, 1989
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1987
Johan Coetzer, Pretoria, ZA;
Roger J Wedlake, Johannesburg, ZA;
Lilliwyte Societe Anonyme, , LU;
Abstract
A method of making an (alkali metal) (metal) halide compound and an alkali metal, the compound having the formula MDHal.sub.x+1 in which D is a metal; M is an alkali metal; Hal is a halide; and x is the valency of the metal D. The compound is made by exposing to one another a molten MDHal.sub.x+1 compound, a metal D and an alkali metal halide having the formula MHal. The MDHal.sub.x+1 compound is separated from a molten alkali metal M by means of a separator which is in contact with both the molten MAlHal.sub.4 and molten alkali metal. The separator can include a solid conductor of ions of the alkali metal or a micromolecular sieve having the alkali metal absorbed therein. A sufficient electrical potential is applied across the electrolytic cell D/MHal/MDHal.sub.x+1 .parallel.separator.parallel.alkali metal to cause the following reactions to take place: xMHal+D.fwdarw.XM+DHal.sub.x and MHal+DHal.sub.x .fwdarw.MDHal.sub.x+1. The alkali metal formed in the first reaction passes through the separator and into the molten alkali metal. The electrical potential is a direct current potential arranged so that electrons are fed via an external circuit into the molten alkali metal.