Titanium alloy

Abstract

A titanium base alloy powder having lesser amounts of aluminum and vanadium with an alkali or alkaline earth metal being present in an amount of less than about 200 ppm. The alloy powder is neither spherical nor angular and flake shaped. 6/4 alloy is specifically disclosed having a packing fraction or tap density between 4 and 11%, as is a method for making the various alloys.

1 . A titanium base alloy powder having lesser amounts of aluminum and vanadium with an alkali or alkaline earth metal being present in an amount of less than about 200 ppm and said alloy powder being neither spherical nor angular and flake shaped.  
   
   
       2 . The titanium base alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of aluminum and vanadium is less than about 20% by weight.  
   
   
       3 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 1 , wherein said powder is in agglomerates having an average mean diameter as measured by sieve analysis greater than about 50 microns.  
   
   
       4 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area as determined by BET analysis is at least about 3 square meters per gram after distillation of the powder at temperatures between about 500° C. and about 575° C. for about 8 to about 12 hours.  
   
   
       5 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 1 , wherein sodium and magnesium and calcium are present in an amount of less than about 100 ppm.  
   
   
       6 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 1 , wherein the tap density is in the range of from about 4% to about 11%.  
   
   
       7 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 1  formed into a sintered product.  
   
   
       8 . A solid object made from the titanium alloy powder of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       9 . A titanium base alloy powder having about 6% by weight aluminum and about 4% by weight vanadium with an alkali or alkaline earth metal being present in an amount of less than about 200 ppm and said alloy powder being neither spherical nor angular and flake shaped.  
   
   
       10 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 , wherein said powder is in agglomerates having an average mean diameter as measured by sieve analysis greater than about 50 microns.  
   
   
       11 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 , wherein the surface area as determined by BET analysis is at least about 3 square meters per gram after distillation of the powder at temperatures between about 500° C. and about 575° C. for about 8 to about 12 hours.  
   
   
       12 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 , wherein sodium and magnesium and calcium are present in an amount of less than about 100 ppm.  
   
   
       13 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 , wherein said powder meets ASTM B265 grade 5 chemical specifications.  
   
   
       14 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 , wherein the tap density is in the range of from about 4% to about 11%.  
   
   
       15 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9  agglomerated as seen in  FIGS. 10-12 .  
   
   
       16 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 9  formed into a sintered product.  
   
   
       17 . A solid object made from the titanium alloy powder of  claim 9 .  
   
   
       18 . A titanium base alloy powder having about 6% by weight aluminum and about 4% by weight vanadium with an alkali or alkaline earth metal being present in an amount less than about 200 ppm and having a tap density in the range of from about 4% to about 11%.  
   
   
       19 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 18 , wherein the surface area as determined by BET analysis is at least about 3 square meters per gram after distillation of the powder at temperatures between about 500° C. and about 575° C. for about 8 to about 12 hours.  
   
   
       20 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 18 , wherein sodium and calcium and magnesium are present in an amount of less than about 100 ppm.  
   
   
       21 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 18 , wherein said powder meets ASTM B265 grade 5 chemical specifications.  
   
   
       22 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 18  agglomerated as seen in Figs A to B.  
   
   
       23 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 18  formed into a sintered product.  
   
   
       24 . A solid object made from the titanium alloy powder of  claim 18 .  
   
   
       25 . A titanium base alloy powder having about 6% by weight aluminum and about 4% by weight vanadium with an alkali or an alkaline earth metal being present in an amount less than about 200 ppm made by the subsurface reduction of chloride vapor with molten alkali metal or molten alkaline earth metal.  
   
   
       26 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25 , wherein the surface area as determined by BET analysis is at least about 3 square meters per gram after distillation of the powder at temperatures between about 500° C. and about 575° C. for about 8 to about 12 hours.  
   
   
       27 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25 , wherein sodium and calcium and magnesium are present in an amount of less than about 100 ppm.  
   
   
       28 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25 , wherein said powder meets ASTM B265 grade 5 chemical specifications.  
   
   
       29 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25 , wherein the chloride vapor is introduced at greater than sonic velocity into flowing liquid sodium.  
   
   
       30 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25 , wherein the tap density is in the range of from about 4% to about 11%.  
   
   
       31 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 25  agglomerated as seen in  FIGS. 10-12 .  
   
   
       32 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 29  formed into a sintered product.  
   
   
       33 . A solid object made from the titanium alloy powder of  claim 29 .  
   
   
       34 . Agglomerated titanium base alloy powder having about 6% by weight aluminum and about 4% by weight vanadium with an alkali or alkaline earth metal being present in an amount less than about 100 ppm substantially as seen in  FIGS. 10-12 .  
   
   
       35 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 34 , wherein the surface area as determined by BET analysis is at least about 3 square meters per gram after distillation of the powder at temperatures between about 500° C. and about 575° C. for about 8 to about 12 hours.  
   
   
       36 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 34 , wherein said powder meets ASTM B265 grade 5 chemical specifications.  
   
   
       37 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 34 , wherein the tap density is in the range of from about 4% to about 11.  
   
   
       38 . The titanium alloy powder of  claim 34  formed into a sintered product.  
   
   
       39 . A solid object made from the titanium alloy powder of  claim 34.