Production of castable light rare earth rich light metal compositions from direct reduction processes

US11365463B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• UT-BATTELLE, LLC · US
• University of Tennessee Research Foundation · US
• Eck Industries, Inc. · US
• IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. · US
• Colorado School of Mines · US
• Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC · US

Inventors

• Orlando Rios · Knoxville, US
• Hunter B. Henderson · Knoxville, US
• Michael S. Kesler · Knoxville, US
• Bruce A. Moyer · Oak Ridge, US
• Zachary C. Sims · Knoxville, US
• David Weiss · Manitowoc, US
• Ryan T. Ott · Ames, US
• Corby G. Anderson · Golden, US
• Hao Cui · Gresham, US
• Scott K. McCall · Livermore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 2020
• Grant date: Jun 21, 2022
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C22C32/0015
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The disclosure concerns methods for making a composition comprising a light metal and an intermetallic comprising the light metal and a light rare earth element. The composition also may include a plurality of nanoparticles comprising an oxide of the light metal. The method includes directly reducing a light rare earth element precursor compound in a melt of the light metal, thereby forming the light rare earth element and nanoparticles of the light metal oxide.