JPS6479326A - Electron beam melting method for producing active metal alloy - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce an active metal alloy at a high yield from alloy elements by previously melting the active metals by electron beam irradiation in an electron beam melting device, then adding and melting the alloy elements of a high vapor pressure under the electron beam irradiation. CONSTITUTION:Spongy Ti and Zr in the form of lumps, grains, etc., are fed at a specified rate from a hopper 1 by a constant rate feeder 2 and are charged by a constant rate feeder 3 into a melting vessel 4 in the electron beam melting device at the time of producing an alloy consisting of active metal such as Ti and Zr and alloy components such as Al, Cr and Sn having high vapor pressure. The inside of the vessel is evacuated to a vacuum and an electron beam is projected from an electron beam irradiation device 15 to melt the active metals in the vessel 4. One or several kinds of the alloy elements such as Al, Cr, Sn, and V having the high vapor pressure are then fed at required ratios by constant rate feeders 10-13 and are added to the molten active metals in the vessel 4 by a feeder 14. These metals are melted and alloyed by the electron beam irradiation. The components of the molten alloy are detected by a characteristic X-ray detector 5 and the amts. of the metals for forming the alloy are added accordingly until the compsn. of the molten alloy has the desired amounts of components. The active metal alloy is thus produced at a high yield from the raw material metals.