Process for the electrolytic production of metals from a fused salt melt with a liquid cathode

Abstract

A process for the production of metal Me or an alloy containing metal Me from a metal halide MeX.sub.n by electrolysis in a cell comprising an anode, a liquid metal cathode comprising one or more metals M and a liquid electrolyte comprising a salt melt of one or more alkali metal or alkaline earth metal halides, which comprises introducing metal halide MeX.sub.n, in which Me represents a metal selected from the groups 2b, 3b (including the lanthanide series and the actinide series), 7b and 8 of the periodic system and Cr, Cu, Au, Ga, Sn, Pb and Bi, X represents halogen and n represents the valency of the metal Me, into the liquid metal cathode and isolating Me or an alloy containing Me from the metal cathode material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.