Thermite smelting of ferromolybdenum

A process for producing ferromolybdenum by a thermite smelting reaction which comprises the steps of forming a substantially uniform particulated mixture of molybdenum oxide, an iron bearing material, a reductant present in an amount substantially equal to the stoichiometric quantity required for reaction with the oxygen associated with said molybdenum oxide and said iron bearing material, and a slag fluxing agent, introducing a first portion of said mixture into a refractory crucible, igniting said first portion to effect an exothermic thermite reaction between said reductant and said molybdenum oxide and iron bearing material, progressively introducing a second portion of said mixture into said crucible to sustain said reaction forming a molten mass of said ferromolybdenum alloy having a first layer of slag floating on the upper surface thereof, interrupting the introduction of said mixture for a period of time to permit the migration of molten droplets of said ferromolybdenum alloy from said first slag layer into said molten mass, cooling said molten mass to effect a solidification thereof forming a first ferromolybdenum alloy button, progressively introducing a third portion of said mixture into said crucible on the molten slag layer to reinitiate and sustain said thermite reaction forming a second molten mass of ferromolybdenum alloy having a second slag layer thereon, cooling the reaction mass to effect a solidification of said second molten mass to form a second ferromolybdenum alloy button and second slag layer thereon, and thereafer extracting the solidified said reaction masses and separating said first and said second ferromolybdenum alloy button from said slag.