Method for manufacturing alloy powders based on titanium, zirconium and hafnium, alloyed with the elements Ni, Cu, Ta, W, Re, Os and Ir

A method for producing an alloy powder based on zirconium, alloyed with the element Ni, comprising mixing 36 kg of ZrO2 having the following properties:

• ZrO2 and HfO2 minimum content of 98.5%, an HfO2 content of from 1.0 to 2.0%, a SiO2 maximum of 0.6%, a TiO2 maximum content of 0.15%, an Fe2O3 maximum content of 0.05%, an ignition loss maximum 0.5%, an average particle size (FSSS) 1.7 to 2.3 μm, together with 26.4 kg of calcium in the form of chips having the following properties:
• a Ca minimum content of 98.5%, a maximum Mg content of 0.5%, and 2.0 kg of magnesium in the form of chips having the following properties:
• a minimum Mg content of 99.5%, a bulk density maximum of 0.3 to 0.4 g/cm3 in a mixing vessel for 20 minutes under an argon atmosphere;
• introducing this mixture into a container, then sealing and filling the container with argon to an excess pressure of 100 hPa;
• heating the mixture in an oven to a temperature of 1250° C. over one hour, wherein sixty minutes after the oven heating is switched on it is switched off again and, once the temperature has fallen to below 50° C. to react the mixture and form a reaction mass:
• removing the resultant reaction mass is removed from the container;
• mixing the reaction mass with 13 kg of Ni powder having the following properties:
• a maximum C content of 0.1%, a maximum Fe content of 0.01%, a maximum O content of 0.15%, a maximum S content of 0.002%, an average particle size (FSSS) 4 to 6 μm, in a mixer for 30 minutes:
• introducing the mixture into a container;
• placing the container in an oven:
• sealing and filling the oven with argon to an excess pressure of 100 hPa;
• heating the oven to temperatures of 500° C. to 1000° C. to form an alloy mixture, and thereafter removing the alloy mixture crucible:
• leaching the removed alloy mixture with concentrated hydrochloric acid to form a leached mixture;
• and then washing and drying the leached mixture to form the alloy powder;
• wherein the alloy powder has the following content analysis:
• 98.3% Zr and Ni, Zr 70.2%, Ni 28.1%, Hf 1.4%, Ca 0.09%, Fe 0.046%, Al 0.13%, S 0.003%, a burning time of 210 s/50 cm, an ignition temperature of 240° C., and an average particle size by FSSS of 4.21 μm.

A method for producing an alloy powder comprising the steps of:

• mixing at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide with a reducing agent and heating the mixture in an oven having an argon atmosphere until a reduction reaction begins to obtain a reaction product;
• cooling the reaction product;
• mixing the cooled reaction product with an alloying metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Cu, Ta, W, Re, Os and Ir to form an alloying mixture and heating the alloying mixture to form the alloy powder;
• wherein the at least one oxide has a mean particle diameter (FSSS) of 0.5 to 20 μm, a BET specific surface area of 0.5 to 20 m2/g and a minimum metal content of 94 wt. %;
• and
• wherein the alloy powder has a burning time of 10 s/50 cm to 3000 s/50 cm, an ignition energy of 1 μJ to 10 mJ, an average particle size of from 1 to 8 μm, a BET specific surface area of 0.2 to 5 m2/g and an ignition temperature of 160° C. to 400° C.