Abstract: It is described a process for the production of porous non-evaporable getter materials comprising at least one first element selected between Zr and Ti and at least one second element selected among V, Cr, Mn and Ni, wherein the starting metal powders are produced by reduction with calcium hydride of the corresponding oxides and the thus obtained powders are compacted and sintered at a value of pressure and temperature in a given range; also described are getter materials that, due to the production process, have a novel distribution of chemical composition through the getter body resulting in an improved combination of mechanical and gas-sorption properties.