METHOD FOR PRODUCING HIGH PURITY NIOBIUM INGOTS Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC C22B34/24 C22B5/04 C22B9/22 

FIELD: electrometallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of electrometallurgy of refractory metals and can be used in the production of high purity niobium for nuclear power and electrical engineering, in particular in the production of superconducting resonators used as elements of linear accelerators. High purity niobium ingots are obtained with a given range of electrical resistivity ratios of 350-750 units. at temperatures of 300 K and 4.2 K by repeated electron-beam remelting. The consumable electrode is prefabricated from crude niobium, obtained by aluminum-calcium-thermal reduction melting of high-purity niobium pentoxide Nb₂O₅. Electron-beam remelting is carried out by fusing the consumable electrode obtained from the previous remelting through an intermediate container into the mold. The melting rate at the second and subsequent remelting is 5-15 kg/h, and the specific surface power of the electron beam in the mold is 0.75-1 kW/cm².

EFFECT: method makes it possible to improve the quality of niobium in the form of ingots with a low content of impurities and with a given range of electrical resistivity ratios of 350÷750 units. at temperatures of 300 K and 4.2 K.

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