Methods for the manufacture of fine metal powders from metal-containing ammonium compounds such as ammonium oxalate metal salts. The method includes decomposing particulates of the ammonium oxalate metal salt by heating to a decomposition temperature in the presence of a dilute hydrogen gas to decompose the ammonium oxalate compound, and form a fine metal powder by heating to a higher refining temperature to remove contaminants from the fine metal powder. The method may include the conversion of a non-oxalate metal compound to a hydrated metal oxalate and the dehydration of the hydrated metal oxalate before decomposition to the metal. The method is applicable to the production of a wide variety of metals of high purity and fine particle size.

Methods for the manufacture of fine metal powders from metal-containing ammonium compounds such as ammonium oxalate metal salts. The method includes decomposing particulates of the ammonium oxalate metal salt by heating to a decomposition temperature in the presence of a dilute hydrogen gas to decompose the ammonium oxalate compound, and form a fine metal powder by heating to a higher refining temperature to remove contaminants from the fine metal powder. The method may include the conversion of a non-oxalate metal compound to a hydrated metal oxalate and the dehydration of the hydrated metal oxalate before decomposition to the metal. The method is applicable to the production of a wide variety of metals of high purity and fine particle size.

Methods for producing final bodies that contain a fine-grained refractory complex concentrated alloy (RCCA), as well as RCCAs, intermediate materials and final bodies containing the RCCAs, and high-temperature devices formed by such final bodies. Such a method includes providing a precursor with one or more precursor compounds containing elements of an RCCA, reducing the precursor compounds in the precursor via reaction with a reducing agent so as to generate the RCCA and a compound comprising a product of the reaction between the reducing agent and the precursor compounds, generating a solid material that contains at least the RCCA, forming with the solid material a porous intermediate body, and consolidating the porous intermediate body so as to partially or completely remove the pore volume from the porous intermediate body, and in doing so yield either a denser final body or a denser film.

Methods for producing final bodies that contain a fine-grained refractory complex concentrated alloy (RCCA), as well as RCCAs, intermediate materials and final bodies containing the RCCAs, and high-temperature devices formed by such final bodies. Such a method includes providing a precursor with one or more precursor compounds containing elements of an RCCA, reducing the precursor compounds in the precursor via reaction with a reducing agent so as to generate the RCCA and a compound comprising a product of the reaction between the reducing agent and the precursor compounds, generating a solid material that contains at least the RCCA, forming with the solid material a porous intermediate body, and consolidating the porous intermediate body so as to partially or completely remove the pore volume from the porous intermediate body, and in doing so yield either a denser final body or a denser film.

Process for the production of particulate ruthenium with a purity of 99.99 wt. % and a specific surface area of 0.2-0.5 m.sup.2/g, comprising: (1) providing a hydrochloric solution prepared by dissolving RuO.sub.4 in hydrochloric acid and has a content of ruthenium in the form of dissolved ruthenium species of 15-22 wt. %; (2) providing an aqueous solution with an ammonium chloride content of 200-600 g/litre; (3) forming a reaction mixture by dosing the hydrochloric solution provided in step (1) to the aqueous solution provided in step (2) at a molar ratio of 1 mol ruthenium: 3-6 mol ammonium chloride, at a temperature of 55-90 C. over the course of 0.2-5 hours and while adjusting and maintaining a pH of 0.6 to 0; (4) separating solid material formed during step (3) from the hydrochloric reaction mixture; and (5) calcinating the solid material separated in step (4) at an object temperature of 350-1,000 C.

Process for the production of particulate ruthenium with a purity of 99.99 wt. % and a specific surface area of 0.2-0.5 m.sup.2/g, comprising: (1) providing a hydrochloric solution prepared by dissolving RuO.sub.4 in hydrochloric acid and has a content of ruthenium in the form of dissolved ruthenium species of 15-22 wt. %; (2) providing an aqueous solution with an ammonium chloride content of 200-600 g/litre; (3) forming a reaction mixture by dosing the hydrochloric solution provided in step (1) to the aqueous solution provided in step (2) at a molar ratio of 1 mol ruthenium: 3-6 mol ammonium chloride, at a temperature of 55-90 C. over the course of 0.2-5 hours and while adjusting and maintaining a pH of 0.6 to 0; (4) separating solid material formed during step (3) from the hydrochloric reaction mixture; and (5) calcinating the solid material separated in step (4) at an object temperature of 350-1,000 C.

Process for the production of particulate ruthenium with a purity of 99.99 wt. % and a specific surface area of 0.2-0.5 m.sup.2/g, comprising: (1) providing a hydrochloric solution prepared by dissolving RuO.sub.4 in hydrochloric acid and has a content of ruthenium in the form of dissolved ruthenium species of 15-22 wt. %; (2) providing an aqueous solution with an ammonium chloride content of 200-600 g/litre; (3) forming a reaction mixture by dosing the hydrochloric solution provided in step (1) to the aqueous solution provided in step (2) at a molar ratio of 1 mol ruthenium: 3-6 mol ammonium chloride, at a temperature of 55-90 C. over the course of 0.2-5 hours and while adjusting and maintaining a pH of 0.6 to 0; (4) separating solid material formed during step (3) from the hydrochloric reaction mixture; and (5) calcinating the solid material separated in step (4) at an object temperature of 350-1,000 C.

A method of processing finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate) and forming a product comprising: providing a composite material comprising finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate) dispersed in a protective matrix; at least partially exposing the finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate); and forming the product.

A method of processing finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate) and forming a product comprising: providing a composite material comprising finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate) dispersed in a protective matrix; at least partially exposing the finely divided reactive particulates (R.sub.Particulate); and forming the product.

A method for producing a particulate titanium alloy product can include preparing a composite particulate oxide mixture with TiO.sub.2 powder and at least one alloying element powder. The composite particulate oxide mixture can be co-reduced using a metallic reducing agent under a hydrogen atmosphere at a reduction temperature for a reduction time sufficient to produce a hydrogenated titanium alloy product. The hydrogenated titanium alloy product can then be heat treated under a hydrogen atmosphere and a heat treating temperature to reduce pore size and specific surface area to form a heat treated hydrogenated titanium product. The heat treated hydrogenated titanium product can be deoxygenated to reduce residual oxygen to less than 0.2 wt % to form a deoxygenated hydrogenated titanium product as a particulate. The deoxygenated hydrogenated titanium product can optionally be dehydrogenated to form the titanium alloy product as a particulate.