Adding zirconium or ZrH2 to steel alloys will improve the high temperature stability of such alloys.
By adding barium metal to Pb-alloys the strength will be increased.
Barium metal has deoxidizing and reducing properties as well.
Titanium metal
powder is applied as a raw material for the production of titanium
parts by metal injection molding. Titanium has an influence on magnetic
hysteresis. Our titanium metal powders and TiH2 powders are
therefore used for the production of AlNiCo magnets. Titanium metal
powder is also utilized as a deoxidizing agent in powder metallurgy,
for reactive solders and brazes (e.g. joining glass or ceramics to
metals).
Besides serving alloying purposes, Ti/Cu alloys are also useful for covering non-metals with a metallization coating.
Calcium hydride at high temperatures reduces refractory oxides to the metals.
Lithium forms many alloys with other metals such as lead, copper,
silver, magnesium, silicon, and aluminum. The alloys most commonly used
in current aerospace applications are lithium aluminum alloys
containing 1-3 weight % of lithium. These materials generate weight
savings of 5%, increased stiffness up to 7%, and increased strength of
up to 30% relative to conventional non-lithium containing aluminum
alloys.
Spodumene
from Albemarle is used in anti-veining additives for the production of
core sands in the foundry industry. "Veining" appears as undesired
edges on the surface of an iron casting that have to be removed
manually. Veins result from a crack formded in a silica sand core or
mold into which hot liquid metal seeps. The use of lithia reduces the
stress of thermal expansion and thus the tendency to crack formation.
In steel castings, the addition of lithia to
continuous casting powders provides thermal insulation and lubricates
the surface of the steel in the continuous casting process. It is also
used in the production of foundry feeders.