Process for making rare earth metal chlorides

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A process for forming a metal chloride of a metal or its compound comprising forming a liquid fused salt bath mixture of at least two metal chlorides the, bath having the property of dissolving the formed metal chloride, and introducing the metal or compound into the liquid fused salt bath in the presence of chlorine to form the metal chloride and recovering the formed chloride from the liquid fused salt bath mixture. The metals which may be chlorinated are those from groups 1b 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a and 8 of the periodic table and the rare earth metals. Compounds from which the metals may be chlorinated are the sulfides, oxides, carbonates and sulfates. Chlorine may be introduced as such …