Method and apparatus for high temperature production of metals

A method for production of metals from metal oxides, sulfides or polyatomic compounds including the steps of,

• providing a reactor body comprising first and second reaction chambers, a heating means capable of heating said reactor to carbothermic temperatures in the range of 1800°-2600° Kelvin and maintaining said temperatures, and a filter means separating said first and second chambers,
• charging said first chamber with a mixture of magnesium oxide and carbon,
• charging said second chamber with a solid metal oxide, sulfide or polyatomic compounds in powder, particulate or pellet form,
• heating said reactor to said carbothermic temperature temperatures, carbothermically reducing said magnesium oxide to magnesium vapor and producing a mixture of magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide,
• passing said mixture of magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide gas through said filter means into said second chamber, and
• contacting said metal oxide, sulfide or polyatomic compounds with said mixture of magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide,
• whereby said metal oxide, sulfide or polyatomic compound is reduced to metallic form and where a metal oxide has been reduced, said magnesium vapor is oxidized to magnesium oxide.