Articles comprising alloy compound for containment of molten materials and methods of making the same

A method of producing an article, comprising:

• forming a carboxynitride compound of a transition metal chosen from a group IVB element, a group VB element, or a group VIB element, forming the carboxynitride compound comprising:
• preparing a mixture comprising at least one oxide of the transition metal, at least one nitride of the transition metal, and at least one source of carbon;
• covering the mixture with a salt composition comprising a salt of an alkaline metal, a salt of an alkaline earth metal, or a combination thereof;
• heating the mixture and the salt composition at a temperature of less than about 1000° C. under an inert atmosphere to produce a product comprising a solidified salt and the carboxynitride compound of the transition metal;
• separating the carboxynitride compound of the transition metal from the solidified salt;
• and
• forming the article from the carboxynitride compound of the transition metal, the article configured to contain a molten material.