Abstract: A method for smelting magnesium quickly and continuously includes: preparing dolomite or magnesite with reductants and fluorite at a predetermined ratio, uniformly mixing the prepared ingredients to obtain pellets, and calcining the obtained pellets in an argon or nitrogen atmosphere; continuously feeding the high-temperature calcined pellets (without being cooled) under argon protection into a reduction furnace, and performing a high-temperature reduction reaction in a flowing argon atmosphere to obtain high-temperature magnesium steam; and enabling the high-temperature magnesium steam to be carried out of the high-temperature reduction furnace by an argon flow, and performing condensation to obtain metal magnesium. The present invention eliminates a vacuum system and a vacuum reduction tank, so that quick and continuous production of the metal magnesium is realized, the reduction time is shortened to 90 min or less, and the recovery rate of magnesium is increased to 88% or more.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparation of a material adapted to reversible storage of hydrogen, including steps consisting of providing a first powder of a magnesium-based material, hydrogenating the first powder to convert at least part of the first powder into metal hydrides, mixing the first hydrogenating powder with a second powder additive, the proportion by mass of the second powder in the mix obtained being between 1% and 20% by mass, wherein the additive is formed from an alloy with a centred cubic structure based on titatnium, vanadium and at least one other metal chosen from chromium or manganese, and grinding the mix of first and second powders.

Abstract: A method for producing an intermetallic compound, the method comprising: (1) providing components A, B and X; and forming by solid state reaction of components A, B and X an intermetallic compound having a filled skutterudite structure and formula of AaBbXc; (2) melting the intermetallic compound having a filled skutterudite structure produced in step (1) in the presence of additional X; and (3) annealing the intermetallic compound of step (2) in the presence of additional X at a temperature equal to, or greater than the phase formation temperature of the intermetallic compound.

Abstract: Ammonium hexachlororuthenate is produced by adding ammonium chloride to a hydrochloric acid solution containing ruthenium. The ammonium hexachlororuthenate is baked to obtain the ruthenium powder. When the moisture content of the ammonium hexachlororuthenate is high, the baked product is so hard sintered product that its pulverization is not easy. In accordance with the present invention, the following steps are carried out. Hydrochloric acid solution containing ruthenium is held at a temperature of 80 to 95° C. for three hours or longer. The ammonium chloride is then added to the hydrochloric acid solution which is stirred by a stirring mill at the rotation of 200 revolutions per minute or more. The hydrochloric acid solution is held at a temperature of from 85 to 95° C. for 1 hour while being stirred at 200 rpm. The resultant precipitate of ammonium hexachlororuthenate is filtered. The inventive crystals of precipitated ammonium hexachlororuthenate has 10 mass % or less of moisture content.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing titanium by reaction of titanium tetrachloride with magnesium in a reactor, wherein the temperature in the reactor is above the melting point of magnesium and below the melting point of magnesium chloride, wherein the reaction results in formation of particles comprising titanium, and wherein the particles are removed from the reactor and processed in order to recover the titanium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-purity tantalum flake powder, produced by a hydride-dehydride process including: (a) cold working tantalum metal into a thin sheet; (b) hydriding the thin sheet, forming a brittle tantalum foil; (c) adjusting the tantalum foil to a desired particle size; and (d) removing hydrogen from the tantalum foil by vacuum sintering, forming a tantalum flake powder. In accordance with the present invention, tantalum flake is produced by sizing ultra-thin tantalum foil via the hydride-dehydride process. Tantalum is an extremely malleable metal and can be cold worked into extremely thin sheets less than 1 micron thick. Once hydrided, this foil is brittle, and can be easily sized by suitable milling processes. The hydrogen is removed by vacuum sintering, resulting in an extremely thin Ta metal flake.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for preparing a nanocomposite based on magnesium and another element or compound known to absorb hydrogen and hardly miscible when ground with magnesium or its hydride, such as vanadium, titanium or niobium. The method is characterised in that it consists in submitting magnesium or a compound based on magnesium known to absorb hydrogen to hydrogenation to obtain the corresponding hydride in powder form. Said resulting powder hydride is then mixed with the other element or compound or a hydride of said other element or compound and the resulting mixture is subjected to intense mechanical grinding until the corresponding nanocomposite is obtained in the form of a hydride. Finally, if necessary, the resulting nanocomposite is subjected to hydrogen desorption.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing W—Cu based composite powder, which is used in heat-sink materials for high-power integrated circuits, electric contact materials, etc, and to a method of producing a W—Cu based sintered alloy by using the composite powder. The method of producing tungsten-copper based composite powder includes first preparing composite oxide powder by dissolving ammonium metatungstate, [(NH4)6(H2W12O40).

Abstract: A magnetic powder of an Sm—Fe—N alloy, which has a mean particle diameter of 0.5 to 10 &mgr;m, and either an average acicularity of 75% or above or an average sphericity of 78% or above. The powder exhibits an extremely high residual magnetization and an extremely high coercive force, since particles characterized by the above acicularity or sphericity have particle diameters approximately equal to that of the single domain particle and nearly spherical particle shapes. The powder can be produced by preparing an Sm—Fe oxide by firing a coprecipitate corresponding to the oxide, mixing the obtained oxide with metallic calcium and subjecting the mixture to reduction/diffusion and nitriding successively.

Abstract: A method of producing high purity, low oxygen content titanium powder utilizes a hydrided titanium powder crushed to desired percentage of particles of not more than a desired size. These hydrided particles are dehydrided by a slow heating process under partial vacuum to draw the hydrogen out of the particles with a minimum of sintering of the particles. The hydrided particles may be initially heated relatively rapidly, over a period of between about two hours and six hours to a temperature of between about 450° C. and 500° C. and then slowly over a period of four to five days to a temperature of between 650° C. and 700° C., all under a partial vacuum, until the hydrogen content of the powder reaches a desired value. The now dehydrided titanium powder is cooled, again crushed if and as necessary to break up any sintered particles, screened, and packaged. The method of the invention minimizes the sintering of the particles during the dehydriding process.

Abstract: A method of producing high purity, low oxygen content titanium powder utilizes a hydrided titanium powder crushed to desired percentage of particles of not more than a desired size. These hydrided particles are dehydrided by a slow heating process under partial vacuum to draw the hydrogen out of the particles with a minimum of sintering of the particles. The hydrided particles may be initially heated relatively rapidly, over a period of between about two hours and six hours to a temperature of between about 450° C. and 500° C. and then slowly over a period of four to five days to a temperature of between 650° C. and 700° C., all under a partial vacuum, until the hydrogen content of the powder reaches a desired value. The now dehydrided titanium powder is cooled, again crushed if and as necessary to break up any sintered particles, screened, and packaged. The method of the invention minimizes the sintering of the particles during the dehydriding process.

Abstract: A method for preparing controlled phase alloys useful for engineering and hydrogen storage applications. This novel method avoids melting the constituents by employing vapor transport, in a hydrogen atmosphere, of an active metal constituent, having a high vapor pressure at temperatures .apprxeq.300 C. and its subsequent condensation on and reaction with the other constituent (substrate) of an alloy thereby forming a controlled phase alloy and preferably a single phase alloy. It is preferred that the substrate material be a metal powder such that diffusion of the active metal constituent, preferably magnesium, and reaction therewith can be completed within a reasonable time and at temperatures .apprxeq.300 C. thereby avoiding undesirable effects such as sintering, local compositional inhomogeneities, segregation, and formation of unwanted second phases such as intermetallic compounds.

Abstract: A process is described for preparing a nanocrystalline powder of an alloy of at least two metals by an intensive mechanical grinding step performed upon powders of the metals which make up the alloy. The grinding is performed at atmospheric pressure under an inert atmosphere, and is carried out at a temperature in the range of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. In this manner, one obtains crystallites of the alloy having a grain size lower than 100 nm by grinding for a period of time lower by about an order of magnitude than the time necessary to achieve this grain size by a similar grinding step carried out at ambient temperature.

Abstract: A hydrogen occluded alloy and a process for producing the above alloy are disclosed. The above process mechanically forms the hydrogen occluded alloy having improved initial discharging characteristics. In the above process, either a powdered LaNi.sub.5 alloy or rare earth metals, such as la, Ce, Pr and Nd, and a powdered CaCu.sub.5 alloy of Mm-Mn-Ni-Al-Co alloys is mixed with a powdered Laves alloy of Zr-Mn-V-Cr-Ni alloys into a powdered alloy mixture. Thereafter, the alloy mixture is applied with a mechanical impact by a high energy ball mill with an attritor, thereby mechanically forming the hydrogen occluded alloy. The above process easily controls the manganese component while producing the hydrogen occluded alloy through the mechanical alloying.

Abstract: Magnesium powder is manufactured by reacting dolomitic lime, ferrosilicon and fluorospar to create magnesium vapor. The magnesium vapor is condensed in a retort in a manner to form a primarily dendritic crown of magnesium. The dendritic magnesium crown is shredded into magnesium particles which are then crushed into magnesium powder through conventional milling or grinding equipment.

Abstract: A process for forming a copper alloy which is strengthened while maintaining good electrical and thermal conductivity by the addition of TiN or ZrN consists of external nitridation of a mechanically alloyed powder mixture followed by further mechanical alloying to break down the surface coating which forms during nitridation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing an agglomerated molybdenum plasma spray powder with a controlled level of oxygen which comprises forming a relatively uniform mixture of agglomerated powders containing molybdenum dioxide and one or more ammonium-containing compounds of molybdenum wherein the mixture has an oxygen content of greater than about 25% by weight and reducing the mixture in a moving bed furnace at a temperature of from about 700.degree. C. to about 1000.degree. C. for a sufficient time to remove a portion of the oxygen therefrom and form reduced molybdenum powder agglomerates having an oxygen content of no greater than about 25% by weight. The reduction takes place in the direction from the outside surface of the agglometates to the inside surface.

Abstract: A the magnetically anisotropic magnetic powder having an average particle size of 1-1000 .mu.m and made from a magnetically anisotropic R-TM-B-Ga or R-TM-B-Ga-M alloy having an average crystal grain size of 0.01-0.5 .mu.m, wherein R represents one or more rare earth elements including Y, TM represents Fe which may be partially substituted by Co, B boron, Ga gallium, and M one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Nb, W, V, Ta, Mo, Si, Al, Zr, Hf, P, C and Zn. This is useful for anisotropic resin-bonded magnet with high magnetic properties.

Abstract: A process for producing magnetically anisotropic powder having "flattened" crystal grains of an R-TM-B-M system alloy with preferably (c)/(a) greater than 2, where (c) is the grain size perpendicular to the C-axis and (a) the grain size parallel to the C-axis, includes the steps of plastically deforming a green compact of flakes formed by rapidly-quenching the alloy melt, and then crushing the plastically deformed body. In the alloy system, R is at least one of the rare earth elements including Y, TM is Fe or Fe a part of which has been substituted with Co, B is boron, and M is an additive selected from Si, Al, Nb, Zr, P and C.

Abstract: A the magnetically anisotropic magnetic powder having an average particle size of 1—1000 &mgr;m and made from a magnetically anisotropic R-TM-B-Ga or R-TM-B-Ga-M alloy having an average crystal grain size of 0.01-0.5 &mgr;m, wherein R represents one or more rare earth elements including Y, TM represents Fe which may be partially substituted by Co, B boron, Ga gallium, and M one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Nb, W, V, Ta, Mo, Si, Al, Zr, Hf, P, C and Zn. This is useful for anisotropic resin-bonded magnet with high magnetic properties.