Process for the continuous production of solid alkali metal strands

In a process for the production of solid alkali metal strands, the improvement which comprises providing molten alkali metal and introducing the molten alkali metal into a screw extrusion zone containing a double shaft extruder with side-by-side located horizontal worms, running in the same direction and being in mesh, establishing a temperature gradient in said extrusion zone, said gradient ranging from a relatively high temperature at or above the temperature at which the alkali metal is molten, to a relatively low temperature equal to a temperature below the molten point of the alkali metal, the relatively high temperature occurring at the point of introduction of the molten alkali metal to the extrusion zone, and the relatively low temperature occurring at the nozzle in the extrusion zone, moving the alkali metal in a continuous flow through the extrusion zone, cooling the molten alkali metal to a temperature below its melting point, at which temperature the metal is still sufficiently ductile for an extrusion, and feeding the metal to an extrusion nozzle for shaping, and thereafter shaping the metal by passing it through the extrusion nozzle having the required configuration for producing the strands.