Abstract: Vanadium-aluminum master alloys with small amounts of refractory metals such as ruthenium, are made substantially free of refractory inclusions and with a substantially homogeneous microstructure by reacting vanadium oxides with excess aluminum through an aluminothermic reduction reaction in the presence of the refractory to yield the desired master alloy. A preferred homogeneous vanadium-aluminum-ruthenium alloy without inclusions contains from about 59 to 70% of vanadium, about 29 to 40% of aluminum, and about 1 to 10% of ruthenium, all based on the weight of the alloy. The substantially homogeneous and inclusion-free master alloy is then used to produce titanium base alloys of higher quality, such as 4% vanadium and 6% aluminum titanium base alloys containing small amounts of refractory metals, usually containing from about 0.1 to 1.0% of ruthenium.

Abstract: A chain link assembly comprising a pair of inner sidebar portions, each of the inner sidebar portions defining an aperture. A tubular-shaped bushing is secured to the pair of inner sidebar portions. The bushing includes a central portion and integral bushing extensions at each end of the central portion. The central portion of the bushing extends between the inner sidebar portions and into the apertures, and the bushing extensions project beyond the inner sidebar portions. The inside diameter of the bushing at any point along the bushing extensions is larger than the smallest inside diameter of the central portion.