QUARTERLY METALLURGICAL PROGRESS REPORT NO. 7 FOR THE PERIOD OF APRIL 1, 1960 TO JUNE 30, 1960
Investigations were made to improve existing methods and to develop new methods for preparing high-purity Vttrium metal. It was established that high- purity yttrium chloride can be prepared by a wet process which involves the careful dehydration of the hydrated chloride in the presence of ammonium chloride at conversion efficiencies of 96 to 99%. Yttrium metal with a purity greater than 99.9% was prepared by both sodium and lithium reduction of yttrium chloride. Room-temperature fabrication tests demonstrated that high-purity yttrium metal can be hammer or press-forged, cold-rolled, extruded, and deepdrawn. High-purity thorium metal was prepared by the reduction of thorium tetrachloride with ""reactor grade"" sodium. Thorium metal sponge was vacuum-arc melted and fabricated into rod, bar, and sheet. Two methods involving the separation of zirconium from hafnium were studied in attempts to develop an economical process for the preparation of an enriched hafnium concentrate from zircon ore. The hafnium-tantalum phase diagram was established as a eutectoid type; but whether it is the conventional eutectic- eutectoid type or a type with complete high- temperature solubility was not established. Investigation of rare-earth alloys established the zirconiumgadolinium phase diagram as a simple eutectic with a peritectoid reaction at 890 deg C and about 5% gadolinium. The diagram for stainless steel (type 304)-gadolinium was partially established, and the stainless steel (type 304)samarium alloy system was briefly examined. A phase diagram for the binary system (titanium-gadolinium) was completed. Evaluation of air-cooled copper crucibles to be used for arc melting zirconium has indicated the need for increased heat transfer from the crucible to the coolant. The techniques for producing expendable graphitic molds for casting zirconium and hafnium are reported. (For preceding period see USBM-U-699.) (W.L.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Bureau of Mines. Albany Metallurgy Research Center, Ore
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(11-1)-599
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-024491
- OSTI ID:
- 4149413
- Report Number(s):
- USBM-U-745
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AIR- COOLING- COPPER- CRUCIBLES- ELECTRIC ARCS- HEAT TRANSFER- MELTING- ZIRCONIUM
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS- CHLORIDES- COLD WORKING- CONVERSION- DEHYDRATION- DUCTILITY- EXTRUSION- FORGING- IMPURITIES- LITHIUM- - PREPARATION- PRESSURE- REDUCTION- ROLLING- SODIUM- YTTRIUM- YTTRIUM CHLORIDES
CASTING- GRAPHITE- HAFNIUM- MELTING- PRODUCTION- ZIRCONIUM
ECONOMICS- ENRICHMENT- HAFNIUM- ORES- PREPARATION- SEPARATION PROCESSES- ZIRCONIUM- ZIRCONIUM SILICATES
ELECTRIC ARCS- MELTING- PLATES- PREPARATION- REDUCTION- RODS- SODIUM- THORIUM- THORIUM CHLORIDES- VACUUM
GADOLINIUM ALLOYS- PHASE DIAGRAMS- TITANIUM ALLO