Production method for making rare earth compounds

Patent · Mon Nov 24 23:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:871245

McCallum, R William ^[1]; Ellis, Timothy W ^[1]; Dennis, Kevin W ^[1]; Hofer, Robert J ^[1]; Branagan, Daniel J ^[1]

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1. Ames, IA

A method of making a rare earth compound, such as a earth-transition metal permanent magnet compound, without the need for producing rare earth metal as a process step, comprises carbothermically reacting a rare earth oxide to form a rare earth carbide and heating the rare earth carbide, a compound-forming reactant (e.g. a transition metal and optional boron), and a carbide-forming element (e.g. a refractory metal) that forms a carbide that is more thermodynamically favorable than the rare earth carbide whereby the rare earth compound (e.g. Nd.sub.2 Fe.sub.14 B or LaNi.sub.5) and a carbide of the carbide-forming element are formed.

• Research Organization: Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA; Iowa State University, Ames, IA (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. (Ames, IA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5690889
• Application Number: 08/605,324
• OSTI ID: 871245
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/420/148/423/
14
boron
carbide
carbide-forming
carbothermically
compound
compound-forming
compounds
comprises
earth
earth compound
earth compounds
earth metal
earth oxide
earth-transition
earth-transition metal
element
favorable
form
formed
forming element
forms
heating
lani
magnet
metal
metal permanent
method
optional
oxide
permanent
permanent magnet
process
process step
producing
production
production method
rare
rare earth
reactant
reacting
refractory
refractory metal
step
thermodynamically
transition
transition metal
whereby