US Patent Issued to Consolidated Nuclear Security on April 7 for "Production of metals from metal oxides" (Tennessee Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 7 -- United States Patent no. 12,595,578, issued on April 7, was assigned to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC (Oak Ridge, Tenn.).

"Production of metals from metal oxides" was invented by Justin M. Holland (Clinton, Tenn.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A process and apparatus for producing a metal (RE) from a metal oxide (REOx). The method includes introducing the REOx and a reductant into a molten alkali and/or alkaline earth metal chloride salt phase in an oxide reductant compartment (ORC) of a partitioned process vessel. A tray containing the REOx in the ORC is reciprocated in contact with the salt phase and a molten metal collection pool phase below the salt phase. ...