US1308911A - Process ojp makijtg compottnbs of - Google Patents

Description

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Specification of Letters reheat.

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To all w'hom-t't-ma'y' 'ooncem:

B it known'tha't I, ROBERT MeKNmm, a 'ciii'zen of 'the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented acertai'n new and useful Process of Making Compounds of Rare Metals, of which the followin is a specification.

e invention relates 'to the process of makingeompounds including the rare metals such 'as'tungs'ten, uranium, vanadium, molybdenum, and tellurium. It is well known that the addition ofvarious amounts of the rare metals improve iron, steel, and other of the more common metals when the proper proportions, but these rare metals are now commonly produced in a metallic.

condition and require very high melting points before the desired combination can be accomplished. It is the primary objects of the present invention to provide a process whereby the incorporation of the rare metals with the other more common metals is accomplished at a much lower temperature than has heretofore been possible; the provision of a process in which the desired combination between the rare metal and 'the common metal occurs at the ordinary melting point of the common metal; and the provision of a process wherein the melting point of the compound to which the rare metal has been added is reduced below that of the common metal prior to the addition of the rare metal, such as is not the case with the ordinary metallic compounds of the rare and common metals as now produced.

In carrying out the process I employ the acid or alkaline salts of the rare metals, which salts may be obtained in any manner known in the art, a desirable method being set forth in my Patent Number 862,987 of August 13, 1907. A specific instance of one manner of practising my invention is as follows: Taking a salt containing tungstic acid (W0 as the rare metal salt, I mix such salt with one of the haloid salts, such as sodium chlorid, and feed the mixture into a furnace of any desired type, it being anderstood however, that if desired, the two compounds may be fed into the furnace separately. and there mixed. The amount or proportion of sodium chlorid may be varied, the desired result being more quickly btained with the larger portion of the sodium chlorid. I find in practice however, that the-advantage derived from a large excess of sod-111m chlorid, such as would be expected from the law of action, is after a certam point counterbalanced by the disadvantage of having f to handle too large a bulk of material, and therefore the amount or sodium chlorid to be;iise d is best'determined by the amount of rare metal inthe rare metal salt. I find that with a salt containin 90% oi tungst1c..oxid, 20% 'of' sodium clilond giyes excellelitresults. Thejtemperature a-p' p'lled need not exceed 800C. which an be secured through any available ifuel. ere elec'trlcity 'is available a good "furnace in which to carry out ihQvPIOCQSS set iorth in'my Patent Number1900.192 of October 6,

1908. As a result of this treatment the tungstic acid combines with the sodium chlorid and forms when cooled a hard semimetallic cake or ingot.

The compound as just described is supplied with the oommon metal to be modified in quantities sufiicient to give the quality desired for any specific purpose such as for instance the making of high s eed tools where the common metal is steel, t e combination with the steel occurring at a temperature approximately the melting point of the steel, and the heat for melting the steel being supplied in any of the known ways.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific application of the method as heretofore explained for the purpose of illustration. The other haloid salts might be employed, although not so desirable, and more expensive than sodium chlorid. Similarly the invention is applicable to use with other of the common metals than iron or steel, and the proportions of the materials employed might be varied within considerable limits. The resultant compound of the rare metal salt and the haloid salt is, as a matter of convenience, preferably allowed to cool and harden after uniting, but if desired, it may be used as a liquid, the result when the compound is used as a liquid being the same as when used as a solld. I believe the composition, whether in solid or liquid form, to be a true chemical compound, rather than a mechanical mixture, but as yet I have been unable to determine the exact character of the reactions involved. The composition as a solid is dark, very dense, has a decided me- 'ratenteii Jul 8, 1919. 5

tallic appearance, and discloses no free sodium chlorid. In the application of the process to the modification of steel by the rare metal the 7 primary advantages of my method over the methods now in use may be summed up as follows. First, the time required to secure the incorporation of the rare metal into the steel is reduced by reason of the fact that the steel need not be heated Within many hundred degrees of the temperature required under the present practice, the union of the rare metal occurring at the melting temperature of the steel and Within a few minutes, thus involving a reat saving in time; second, the cost of fueil is correspondingly reduced, and third, the loss of steel due to burningis entirely eliminated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following: a a 1. The process of making compounds of the rare metals, such as tungsten, vanadium, uranium, molybdenum and tellurium, which consists in melting'togcther a salt of the rare metal and a chlorid of one of the alkali metals without any substantial volatilizato cool and harden into a solid bod 3. A compound formed by melting together a salt of the rare metals, such as tungsten, vanadium, uranium, molybdenum and tellurium,-and a chlorid of one of the alkali -metals at a temperature approximately 800 degreesC.

In testimony whereof Iv have hereunto.

signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed wltnesses.

Witnesses:

LE'IITIA A; MYERS, v Ancuwon'rn MARTIN.

ROBERT MGKNIGHTQ