METHOD OF FABRICATION OF TANTALUM OR NIOBIUM POWDER Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC B22F9/18 C22B34/24 

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: method includes heating of charge, containing oxygenous or oxygenous and oxygen-free composition of tantalum or niobium and halogenide of alkali metal with formation of melt. Into melt it is introduced alkali metal at blending and it is implemented reduction of tantalum or niobium at temperature 550-850°C. Additionally amount of oxygen in melt is regulated by means of changing of ratio of components of harge according to relation where n(O) - amount of oxygen, mol, k - empirically determined coefficient, k=60-350 mol, m₁ and M₁ - mass and molar mass of oxycompound of tantalum or niobium correspondingly in kg and kg/mol, m₂ and M₂ - mass and molar mass of oxygen-free composition of tantalum or niobium correspondingly in kg and kg/mol, m₃ and M₃ - mass and molar mass of alkali metal halogenide correspondingly in kg and kg/mol.

EFFECT: increased purity of powder, increasing of its specific surface area.

5 cl, 1 tbl, 7 ex