Abstract: Process for deoxidizing refractory metals such as titanium which contain less than about one percent oxygen. The process described includes heating a liquid metal deoxidant contained in a liquid metal carrier to treat the oxidized metal. After removing the carrier and cooling, the metal is leached to result in a treated metal with lower residual oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, titanium alloy powders are deoxidized with calcium in a sodium carrier.

Abstract: A method of adding trace elements to a base metal, particularly useful for adding yttrium or a rare earth metal to titanium. This method is especially useful for adding these and other trace elements which have low solubility in the base metal or a high melting point and tend to form undesirable segregates in the microstructure. The invention overcomes this difficulty by dispersing finely divided particles of trace element in a vehicle before adding the trace element to a melt charge. The vehicle may be finely divided base metal, or a solvent and diluent.

Abstract: A method of producing a hot-worked titanium product in which a minute quantity of a workability-enhancing agent is incorporated in the melting charge. The agent may be yttrium, a rare earth of atomic number 57 to 71, or combinations thereof, and may be in the form of the metal itself or a compound, such as the oxide. The agent has the effect of making bodies of the material more workable; that is, more drastic working is achieved without reheating of the material between hot-working steps, yet any significant surface-cracking is avoided in the product.

Abstract: A titanium-base alloy consisting by weight of about 5.5 to 6.5% aluminum, 1.7 to 2.3% tin, 0.7 to 5.0% zirconium, 0.7 to 3.0% molybdenum, 0.04 to 0.13% silicon, and the balance titanium. The addition of silicon to the otherwise known alloy produces a marked improvement in creep properties without significant detrimental effect to other properties.