Incorporation of Refractory Metals into Niobium Base Alloys

Niobium-based alloys with additions such as Al, Ti and Mo were prepared in an inductive cold crucible. A process route was established to provide homogeneous ingots. Key ideas concerning the application of inductive cold crucible to preparation of refractory alloys are brought out. A model is proposed to explain and quantify the experimental observations, which couples the diffusive and convective heat transfers and the heat of mixing involved.