Abstract: An article transport vehicle (200) has: a carrier base (202) configured for movement along a guideway and a pair of gripping arms (216), each gripping arm (216) having a first end (216a) connected to the carrier base (202) and a second end (216b) protruding from the carrier base (202). The pair of gripping arms (216) is movable between a closed position configured for holding an article (302) and an open position configured for releasing the article (302). The article transport vehicle (200) further has a closure mechanism (238) for moving the pair of gripping arms (216) between the closed position and the open position. The closure mechanism (238) is configured for biasing the pair of gripping arms (216) to the closed position and moving the pair of gripping arms (216) to the open position when the carrier base (202) is positioned at a predetermined portion of the guideway.

Abstract: A method of treating rare earth metal-bearing permanent magnet scrap, waste or other material in a manner to recover the heavy rare earth metal content separately from the light rare earth metal content. The heavy rare earth metal content can be recovered either as a heavy rare earth metal-enriched iron based alloy or as a heavy rare earth metal based alloy.

Abstract: A method of treating rare earth metal-bearing permanent magnet scrap, waste or other material in a manner to recover the heavy rare earth metal content separately from the light rare earth metal content. The heavy rare earth metal content can be recovered either as a heavy rare earth metal-enriched iron based alloy or as a heavy rare earth metal based alloy.

Abstract: A method for preparing R5X4 alloy materials where R is a rare earth element selected from one or more of La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Lu, Sc, and Y and X represents a non-rare earth alloying element such as silicon, germanium, tin, lead, gallium, indium and mixtures thereof. The method involves carbothermically reducing amounts of a rare earth element-containing oxide, an alloying element-containing oxide and/or alloying element in elemental or alloy form, and carbon at elevated temperature to form an R5X4 alloy material, which is melted, solidified, and optionally heat treated. Such a method provides an economical and efficient technique of configuring magnetic refrigerant, magnetostrictive and magnetoresistive alloys and products.

Abstract: A high strength, light weight "in-situ" Ti-Y composite is produced by deformation processing a cast body having Ti and Y phase components distributed therein. The composite comprises elongated, ribbon-shaped Ti and Y phase components aligned along an axis of the deformed body.

Abstract: Rare earth-transition metal (e.g., iron) scrap (e.g., Nd-Fe-B scrap) is flux (slag) remelted to reduce tramp non-metallic impurities, such as oxygen and nitrogen, and metallic impurities, such as Li, Na, Al, etc., picked up by the scrap from previous fabrication operations. The tramp impurities are reduced to concentrations acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets. The scrap is electroslag or inductoslag melted using a prefused, rare earth fluoride-bearing flux of CaF.sub.2, CaCl.sub.2 or mixtures thereof or the slag resulting from practice of the thermite reduction process to make a rare earth-iron alloy.

Abstract: Rare earth-transition metal (e.g. iron) scrap (e.g. Nd-Fe-B scrap) is melted to reduce the levels of tramp oxygen and nitrogen impurities therein. The tramp impurities are reduced in the melt by virtue of the reaction of the tramp impurities and the rare earth to form dross on the melt. The purified melt is separated from the dross for reuse. The oxygen and nitrogen of the melt are reduced to levels acceptable for reuse of the treated alloy in the manufacture of end-use articles, such as permanent magnets.