Method of making a molybdenum alloy having a high titanium content

Abstract

The invention relates to method of making a molybdenum alloy which has a high titanium content and further comprises silicon and/or boron. The method comprises subjecting to pressureless sintering or sintering under pressure in an inert gas atmosphere a mixture of one or more powders (i) of an alloy of Mo and Ti and, optionally, one or more additional metals X and/or (i′) powders of Mo and of TiN, and (ii) one or more powders comprising one or more powders of silicides of Mo and/or Ti and/or (iii) one or more powders of nitrides which comprise Si 3 N 4 powder and/or BN powder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making a molybdenum alloy having a high titanium content and further comprising one or both of silicon and boron, wherein the method comprises subjecting to pressureless sintering or sintering under pressure a mixture of powders which comprise (i) one or more powders of an alloy of Mo and Ti and, optionally, one or more additional metals X and/or (i′) powders of Mo and of titanium nitride, and at least one of (ii) one or more powders comprising one or more powders of silicides of Mo and/or Ti and (iii) one or more powders of nitrides which comprise at least one of silicon nitride and boron nitride. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein X is present and selected from one or more of Fe, Y, Hf, Nb, Zr, W. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more metals X comprises at least Fe. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more powders (i) are employed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more powders (i) have a median particle size d50 of from about 0.001 μm to about 50 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particles of (i) are substantially spherical. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more powders (ii) are employed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more powders (ii) comprise powders of one or more of MoTi 5 Si 3 , Ti 5 Si 3 , MoTi 5 SiB 2 , Mo 3 Si. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more powders (iii) are employed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more powders (iii) comprise at least silicon nitride powder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more powders (i′) are employed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more powders (i′) have a median particle size d50 of from about 0.001 μm to about 50 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises at least 35 at. % of molybdenum. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises not more than 66 at. % of molybdenum. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises at least 25 at. % of titanium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises not more than 33 at. % of titanium. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises at least 9 at. % of silicon. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the powders (i) and/or (i′) and the powders (ii) and/or (iii) are combined in ratios which result in an alloy which comprises not more than 15 at. % of silicon. 
     
     
         19 . An alloy which is obtained by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . An article which is made of or comprises the alloy of  claim 19 .