An alloy containing tantalum and silicon. Tantalum is the main metal. When the alloy is formed into wire, it has a uniformity of tensile strength, resulting in a maximum cluster standard deviation of tensile strength of about 3KSI and about 2KSI, respectively, for unannealed and annealed wires of final diameter. A method for manufacturing Ta-Si alloys including conversion of Si containing solids and tantalum containing solids into liquids is also disclosed. They are then mixed into a liquid mixture, which is then used to form a solid alloy. Another method for manufacturing Ta-Si alloys is also disclosed, which consists of forming a mixture of powders containing tantalum or its oxides with powders containing silicon or powders containing silicon compounds, converting the mixture into a liquid state, and using this liquid state to form a solid alloy. Also disclosed are methods for improving the tensile strength uniformity of tantalum alloys, reducing the brittleness of tantalum alloys, and providing tantalum alloys with controlled mechanical tensile strength, including the addition of silicon to tantalum metals to form Ta-Si alloys.
Relates to metal alloy ingot containing at least tantalum and silicon. Tantalum, which is one of the metal alloys, is the main metal present. Therefore, tantalum accounts for the largest percentage by weight of any metal that exists anywhere. In the alloy, the weight percentage of tantalum is at least about 50%, preferably at least about 75%, preferably at least 85% or at least 95%, preferably at least about 97%, or about 97% - about 99.5% or higher. In a better embodiment, the alloy can also be considered to be a tantalum alloy microalloyed with silicon alloy. Silicon exists in low quantities. Preferably the tantalum silicon alloy contains about 50ppm(weight) -about 5% (weight) of elemental silicon, preferably contains about 50ppm- about 1000ppm of elemental silicon, and the most preferably contains about 50ppm- about 300ppm of elemental silicon (based on alloy weight). The alloy preferably contains less than 1% (by weight) of elemental silicon. The silicon content of the alloy is sufficient to make the tensile strength uniformity of the resulting alloy higher than that of the tantalum metal without silicon.
Alloys of the present invention may contain additional components, such as other metals or components normally added to tantalum, such as yttrium, zirconium, titanium or mixtures thereof. The types and quantities of these additional components may be the same as those used in conventional tantalum and are well known to practitioners in the field. In one embodiment, the amount of yttrium in the alloy is less than 400ppm, or less than 100ppm, or less than 50ppm. Other metals other than tantalum may also be present, preferably less than 4% of the alloy, and preferably less than 3% or less 2% (based on the weight of the alloy). It is also desirable to have no or essentially no tungsten or molybdenum in this alloy.
The alloy contains a small amount of nitrogen, such as less than 200ppm, preferably less than 50ppm, preferably less than 25ppm and preferably less than 10ppm of nitrogen is also desirable. The alloy can also contain a small amount of oxygen, such as less than 150ppm, preferably less than 100ppm, preferably less than about 75ppm, and preferably less than about 50ppm of oxygen.
