METALLOTHERMIC REDUCTION OF REFRACTORY METAL OXIDES Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC B22F9/20 C22B34/24 

FIELD: process engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to powder metallurgy. Component of oxide particles is mixed with reducing agent to form homogeneous mix. Obtained mix is fed into furnace for it to be ignited to initiate the exothermal reaction and produce high-temperature flashout. Note here that said mix is fed by disperser other than rotor/stator disperser to distribute it uniformly over the furnace cross section area, while mix furnace reaction zone location time T_R varies from 0.1 s to 30 s. Oxide particles are selected from the group including refractory metal oxides, particles of refractory metal oxide alloys, powders of refractory metal sub oxides, powders of refractory metal sub oxides alloys and mixes thereof. Reducing agent is selected from the group including magnesium, aluminium, potassium and mixes thereof. In compliance with one of the versions, exothermal reaction is initiated at constant rate, while reaction zone temperature equal to flashout temperature is set to be constant. Besides exothermal reaction is initiated by heating the mix to ignition temperature or adding another reagent or catalyst.

EFFECT: uniform mix distribution, higher degree of reduction.

42 cl, 5 tbl, 7 dwg, 2 ex