H.c. Starck Gmbh

Leah F Haywiser

Steven Alfred Miller

Leonid Natan Shekhter

Rong-Chein Richard Wu

In various embodiments, low-oxygen metal powder is produced by heating a metal powder to a temperature at which an oxide of the metal powder becomes thermodynamically unstable and applying a pressure to volatilize the oxygen.

Process for preparing metal powders having low oxygen content, powders so-produced and uses thereof

The present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a metal powder having a purity at least as high as the starting powder and having an oxygen content of 10 ppm or less comprising heating said metal powder containing oxygen in the form of an oxide, with the total oxygen content being from 50 to 3000 ppmf in an inert atmosphere at a pressure of from 1 bar to 10to a temperature at which the oxide of the metal powder becomes thermodynamically unstable and removing the resulting oxygen via volatilization. The metal powder is preferably selected from the group consisting of tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, hafnium, zirconium, titanium, vanadium, rhenium and tungsten. The invention also relates to the powders produced by the process and the use of such powders in a cold spray process.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Leah F Haywiser