Preparation of reactive metal hydrides
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorSamuel A. Worcester
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Transition metal, notably zirconium alloy, is melted (e.g., by a plasma) to form droplets within the size range of minus 20, plus 60 mesh. The droplets are exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere for a short period while cooling through the hydriding temperature range (e.g., 600.degree. C. to 400.degree. C.). A friable particulate of uniform size and hydrogen content, suitable for sintering or forming components, is recovered.
Claims11
A method for producing powder metallurgy particulate hydrides principally of a transition metal selected from Groups IV-b and V-b of the periodic table of elements, said method comprising:
- introducing solid bar or chips principally of a Group IV-b or V-b metal to a melting zone under conditions which form and then disperse individual droplets of said metal, wherein said droplets are predominantly within the size range of about -20 mesh to about +60 mesh (Tyler);
- solidifying said droplets while maintaining said droplets dispersed;
- maintaining said solidified droplets in a hydriding zone while cooling from solidification in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature within the range maintained to effect a solidified droplet temperature of between about 300.degree. C. to about 700.degree. C., for sufficient duration for said solidified droplets to become friable;
- and
- recovering said solidified droplets from said hydriding zone.
In the process of producing metal hydrides by exposing a Group IV-b metal or alloy capable of reacting with hydrogen to a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature within the hydriding temperature of that metal, the improvement comprising:
- melting solid bar or chips of said metal or alloy under conditions which form and disperse droplets and wherein said droplets are predominantly within the size range of about -20 mesh to about +60 mesh (Tyler);
- solidifying said droplets while maintaining said droplets dispersed;
- and cooling said solidified droplets in the presence of hydrogen gas,
- thereby exposing said droplets to hydrogen gas, for a period of up to about one minute at a hydriding temperature of 300.degree.-700.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.