US2000740A - Alkali metal alloy - Google Patents

Alkali metal alloy Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US2000740A
US2000740A US743305A US74330534A US2000740A US 2000740 A US2000740 A US 2000740A US 743305 A US743305 A US 743305A US 74330534 A US74330534 A US 74330534A US 2000740 A US2000740 A US 2000740A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
caesium
alloys
alkali metal
metal alloy
metals
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US743305A
Inventor
Brophy Dorothy Hall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
General Electric Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US477975A external-priority patent/US1995440A/en
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Priority to US743305A priority Critical patent/US2000740A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2000740A publication Critical patent/US2000740A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C28/00—Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00

Definitions

  • this invention is concerned with a method of preparing such alloys and, particularly, a method of preparing caesium alloys.
  • Metallic caesium is dimcult to handle as such, due to its extreme reactivity in air. It has been desirable to obtain it in a form wherein it is relatively more stable than in the metallic state and yet easily decomposable to said state when desired.
  • dimculty has been encountered due to the fact that the caesium oxidizes so readily and forms a layer of oxide thereon before it can be introduced into the tube, and special devices have been resorted to.for this purpose, such as the device shown in Letters Patent to Dorothy H. Brophy and William A. Ruggles, No. 1,685,666, dated September 25, 1928.
  • the caesium employed in making the alloys may be easily prepared by reduction of caesium chloride with metallic calcium in a vacuum.
  • a method which may be employed to obtain the caesium is disclosed in the Letters Patent above referred to.
  • the metal is collected in a glass tube and covered with an oil such as a hydrocarbon oil or an organic liquid containing no hydroxyl group or groups which will react with caesium.
  • An oil known to the trade as Nuioi may conveniently be employed for this purpose.
  • the metallic caesium is covered with oil it may be exposed to the air.
  • the glass tube containing the caesium immersed in a body of oil is heated to approximately 60 C.
  • the temperature may be kept at 50 C.- C.
  • the metals to be alloyed may now be added. This is preferably done by adding the metals in the form of small pieces or shavings.
  • the mixture is kept stirred and the caesium will be seen to change in color, becoming dark, and also becoming stifl and later breaking into fine particles.
  • the alloy which is formed is washed free of the oil with a substance such as petroleum ether and then may be transferred to aluminum cylinders. While stored for future use, the alloy is covered withan inert medium, such as petroleum ether, carbon tetrachloride and the like.
  • a barium-aluminum-caesium alloy which yields caesium on vacuum distillation.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Surface Treatment Of Glass (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)

Description

Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALKALI METAL ALLOY Dorothy Hall Brophy, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York 3Claiml.
5 kali metals. More specifically this invention is concerned with a method of preparing such alloys and, particularly, a method of preparing caesium alloys.
Metallic caesium is dimcult to handle as such, due to its extreme reactivity in air. It has been desirable to obtain it in a form wherein it is relatively more stable than in the metallic state and yet easily decomposable to said state when desired. For example, in introducing the element in tubes, such as photo-electric cells, dimculty has been encountered due to the fact that the caesium oxidizes so readily and forms a layer of oxide thereon before it can be introduced into the tube, and special devices have been resorted to.for this purpose, such as the device shown in Letters Patent to Dorothy H. Brophy and William A. Ruggles, No. 1,685,666, dated September 25, 1928.
I have found that I can prepare alloys of caesium, the alloys being more stable and hence more easily handled than the metallic caesium itself, but, relatively speaking, sufficiently unstable in character so that the caesium may easily be obtained therefrom. Caesium alloys have not been prepared, as far as I am aware, direct from the metals because of the extreme reactivity of caesium in air. I have found that by employing certain precautions I can prepare caesium alloys direct from the metals.
For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following specification and the claims appended thereto.
The caesium employed in making the alloys may be easily prepared by reduction of caesium chloride with metallic calcium in a vacuum. A method which may be employed to obtain the caesium is disclosed in the Letters Patent above referred to. The metal is collected in a glass tube and covered with an oil such as a hydrocarbon oil or an organic liquid containing no hydroxyl group or groups which will react with caesium. An oil known to the trade as Nuioi may conveniently be employed for this purpose. As soon as the metallic caesium is covered with oil it may be exposed to the air.
The glass tube containing the caesium immersed in a body of oil is heated to approximately 60 C. The temperature may be kept at 50 C.- C. The metals to be alloyed may now be added. This is preferably done by adding the metals in the form of small pieces or shavings. The mixture is kept stirred and the caesium will be seen to change in color, becoming dark, and also becoming stifl and later breaking into fine particles.
The alloy which is formed is washed free of the oil with a substance such as petroleum ether and then may be transferred to aluminum cylinders. While stored for future use, the alloy is covered withan inert medium, such as petroleum ether, carbon tetrachloride and the like.
Various metals have been found which alloy with caesium and give it up during vacuum distillation. As examples of such metals may be cited lead, tin, zinc, cadmium, silver, strontium, magnesium and barium. Alloys containing more than one metal in addition to the caesium have also-been prepared by the method of the present invention. As examples of these, barium-aluminum-caesium and strontium-aluminum-caesium alloys are mentioned.
While I have described my invention as ap plied to caesium, I wish it to be understood that similar metals may likewise be used to form alloys in the manner outlined. For example, in place of caesium, I may employ rubidium, potassium and sodium. It will be understood that when such similar metals are employed the temperature of reaction will be different from that of caesium.
What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:
1. An alkaline earth metal-aluminum-caesium alloy which yields caesium on vacuum distillation.
2. A barium-aluminum-caesium alloy which yields caesium on vacuum distillation.
3. A strontiu'm-aluminum-caesium alloy which yields caesium on vacuum distillation.
DOROTHY HALL PHY.
US743305A 1930-08-26 1934-09-08 Alkali metal alloy Expired - Lifetime US2000740A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US743305A US2000740A (en) 1930-08-26 1934-09-08 Alkali metal alloy

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US477975A US1995440A (en) 1930-08-26 1930-08-26 Alkali metal alloy
US743305A US2000740A (en) 1930-08-26 1934-09-08 Alkali metal alloy

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2000740A true US2000740A (en) 1935-05-07

Family

ID=27045739

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US743305A Expired - Lifetime US2000740A (en) 1930-08-26 1934-09-08 Alkali metal alloy

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US2000740A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5312607A (en) * 1991-04-16 1994-05-17 Saes Getters S.P.A. Process for the sorption of residual gas by means by a non-evaporated barium getter alloy

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5312607A (en) * 1991-04-16 1994-05-17 Saes Getters S.P.A. Process for the sorption of residual gas by means by a non-evaporated barium getter alloy

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
ES225387A1 (en) Indirectly heated cathode
GB465060A (en) Improvements in and relating to cathode ray tube television transmitting apparatus
US2000740A (en) Alkali metal alloy
US1995440A (en) Alkali metal alloy
US2218340A (en) Photoelectric tube
US1952717A (en) Means for producing high vacuum
GB367831A (en) Process for improving aluminium alloys which are resistant to corrosion by seawater
US1724465A (en) Process of fusing metallic bodies to glass and the combination of metals used in said process
GB407658A (en) Improvements in and relating to thermocouples
GB419665A (en) Process for the recovery of alkaline earth and other metals from drosses and other metal bearing substances and the preparation of alkaline earth metal alloys
US2425705A (en) Method of removing manganese from calcium
US1849834A (en) Production of pelargonic aldehyde
GB216840A (en)
US1580700A (en) Process of producing nu-dihydro-1,2,1,1-anthraquinone-azine and its derivatives
GB479356A (en) Improvements in or relating to cathode ray tubes
US1800630A (en) Process for the production of iodates
Berry The distillation of binary mixtures of metals in vacuo. Part I.―Isolation of a compound of magnesium and zinc
Lutz et al. The Reduction of Dibenzoylethenol and of Dibenzoylethylene Oxide and Chlorohydrin
GB380835A (en) Highly emissive thermionic cathode
GB354887A (en) Improvements in and relating to processes of coating metals
GB447451A (en) Process for treating antimonial lead
GB324685A (en) Process for treating material containing tin
GB459922A (en) Improvements in or relating to leading-in-wires adapted to be sealed through vitreous envelopes
GB459539A (en) Improvements in cathodes for thermionic tubes
GB545734A (en) Improved method of treating magnesium