Methods of forming a metal alloy

Abstract

A method of forming a metal alloy. The method comprises forming a metal oxide precursor and conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor in a molten salt electrolyte to form a metal alloy. In an additional method, a metal oxide precursor is formed. The metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in an electrochemical cell that comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte. The metal is reacted with a metal of the working electrode to form a metal alloy. In another method, a metal oxide precursor is formed on a base material. The base material is introduced into a molten salt electrolyte of an electrochemical cell and the metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in the electrochemical cell. The metal is reacted with the base material to form a metal alloy on the base material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a metal alloy, comprising:
 forming a metal oxide precursor on a substrate; and   conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor in a molten salt electrolyte to form a metal alloy on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor comprises conducting cathodic polarization to form a tantalum alloy on the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor comprises conducting cathodic polarization to form a tantalum-transition metal alloy or a tantalum-refractory metal alloy on the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor comprises conducting cathodic polarization to form a tantalum-tungsten alloy, a tantalum-titanium, a tantalum-hafnium alloy, or a tantalum-molybdenum alloy on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal alloy on a metallic substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal alloy on a non-metallic substrate. 
     
     
         7 . A method of forming a metal alloy, comprising:
 forming a metal oxide precursor;   reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal in an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte; and   reacting the metal of the metal oxide precursor with a metal of the working electrode to form a metal alloy.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein forming a metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal oxide precursor by an air sintering process. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein forming a metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal oxide precursor under a reducing atmosphere. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein forming a metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal oxide precursor comprising one or more metal oxide materials. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal in an electrochemical cell comprises reducing the metal oxide precursor to the metal in the electrochemical cell comprising a molten salt electrolyte. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal in an electrochemical cell comprises reducing the metal oxide precursor to the metal in the electrochemical cell comprising a molten electrolyte comprising calcium chloride and calcium oxide. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a metal alloy, comprising:
 forming a metal oxide precursor on a base material;   introducing the base material into a molten salt electrolyte of an electrochemical cell;   reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal in the electrochemical cell; and   reacting the metal of the metal oxide precursor with the base material to form a metal alloy on the base material.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein forming a metal oxide precursor comprises forming the metal oxide precursor comprising a unitary metal oxide, a binary metal oxide, or a ternary metal oxide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein introducing the base material into a molten salt electrolyte of an electrochemical cell comprises at least partially disposing the metal oxide precursor and the base material into the molten salt electrolyte. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal comprises electrochemically reducing the metal oxide precursor to the metal in the electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein reacting the metal of the metal oxide precursor with the base material comprises forming the metal alloy and an interlayer on the base material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming the metal alloy and an interlayer on the base material comprises forming the metal alloy and a diffused metal interlayer on the base material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein forming the metal alloy and a diffused metal interlayer on the base material comprises forming a tantalum alloy and a diffused tantalum layer on the base material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein forming a metal oxide precursor occurs before reducing the metal oxide precursor to a metal and reacting the metal of the metal oxide precursor with the base material.