Abstract: A process for producing ferrotungsten alloys by forming a uniform mixture comprised of a finely-particulated tungsten-containing mineral, such as wolframite, scheelite, ferberite, and/or huebnerite; a supplemental quantity of a particulated iron-bearing material and a controlled amount of a carbonaceous reducing agent which is agglomerated into a plurality of pellets which are heated to an elevated temperature under a controlled vacuum for a period of time sufficient to effect a reduction of the tungstic oxide constituent to the metallic state and volatilization and extraction of the volatile constituents in the pellets, and an alloying of the metallic tungsten with the iron constituent, producing substantially dense sintered ferrotungsten alloy pellets.

Abstract: A process for producing ferromolybdenum alloys by agglomerating a finely-particulated mixture containing controlled amounts of molybdenum disulfide and an iron bearing material into a plurality of pellets and heating the pellets to an elevated temperature under a controlled vacuum for a period of time sufficient to effect a dissociation of the molybdenum disulfide and an extraction of the sulfur and other volatile constituents in the pellets and an alloying of the metallic molybdenum produced with the iron bearing material producing substantially dense sintered ferromolybdenum alloy pellets.

Abstract: A process for preparing metallic molybdenum of relatively high purity by agglomerating a finely-particulated molybdenite concentrate consisting predominantly of molybdenum disulfide into a plurality of briquettes and heating the briquettes at an elevated temperature under vacuum for a period of time sufficient to effect a dissociation of the molybdenum disulfide and an extraction of the volatile constituents in the briquettes, including sulfur, heat treating and purifying the residual porous metallic molybdenum briquettes by subjecting them to a hydrogen gas sweep at an elevated temperature under vacuum, effecting a further extraction of residual sulfur, and thereafter recovering the heat treated briquettes which contain upward of 90% metallic molybdenum.