The manufacturing method of Nb-Ti, Nb-Ti-Zr, Nb-Ti-Ta and other alloys of superconducting electrical materials mainly includes mixing, pressing, sintering and melting of niobium hydride powder and titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium or several powders. Sintering process is divided into low temperature hydrogen removal and high temperature sintering two stages. Adopting the method is beneficial to improve the uniformity of alloy and the process is simple. Direct hydrogenation of niobium ingot to produce hydrogenated niobium powder can obviously improve the utilization rate of metal. Such alloys are usually made from raw materials into electrodes, which are then melted in an electric arc furnace or plasma furnace. The preparation methods of electrode include plate stacking method, powder material pressing method, chip material pressing method and so on.
The manufacturing method of niobium alloy mainly includes mixing niobium hydride powder with titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, one or several powders, pressing into electrode, sintering after melting into alloy. Smelting can be carried out in a vacuum arc furnace or in a plasma furnace.
In order to reduce the non-fusible lump of metal with high melting point, the particle size of metal with high melting point should be smaller than that of metal with low melting point. The particle size of low melting point metal powder should be less than 20 mesh, which will affect the uniformity of the final alloy.
In order to simplify the process and reduce the loss of niobium, the hydrogenated niobium powder can be obtained by direct hydrogenation and crushing of niobium ingot. Direct hydrogenation of niobium ingot can also reduce the contamination of niobium metal. Titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium powder can be hydrogenated powder can also use electrolytic powder.
