Thermochemical processing of exothermic metallic system

A method for controlled exothermic reduction of a metal chloride of one or more of Zn, V, Cr, Co, Sn, Ag, Ta, Ni, Fe, Nb, Cu, Pt, W, Pd, Mo, Pb, Sb, Bi, In, Cd, Ga, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os, and Re, with an Al reducing agent, the method comprising:

• contacting said one or more metal chlorides, a control powder and an Al reducing agent, all in a fine particulate form, at a reaction temperature between 25° C. and a maximum temperature Tmax to form a metal or metal alloy product in a powder form and a by-product including aluminium chloride;
• and
• separating the by-products from the metal or metal alloy powder product;
• wherein the control powder includes one or more of Zn, V, Cr, Co, Sn, Ag, Ta, Ni, Fe, Nb, Cu, Pt, W, Pd, and Mo, or an alloy or compound thereof, and acts to control exothermic heat release from the reduction and to thereby keep reaction temperatures to less than Tmax;
• wherein Tmax is between 400° C. and 1100° C., and below the melting temperature of the metal or metal alloy product;
• and
• wherein the reaction is controlled such that heat generated by the reduction does not increase the reaction temperature by more than 600° C. from a temperature of said contacting.