Refractory metals compositional optimization

The composition of the electrolyte is quite important in controlling the electrolytic deposition of the pertinent metal, the chemical interaction of the deposit with the electrolyte, and the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte. In the case of molten salts, the solvent cations and the solvent anions influence the electrodeposition process through the formation of complexes. The stability of these complexes determines the extent of the reversibility of the overall electroreduction process and, hence, the type of the deposit formed. By selecting a suitable mixture of solvent cations to produce a chemically stable solution with strong solute cation-anion interactions, it is possible to optimize the stability of the complexes so as to obtain the best deposition kinetics. In the case of refractory and reactive metals, the presence of a reasonably stable complex is necessary in order to yield a coherent deposition rather than a dendritic type of deposition. 

One important class of particulate composites is dispersion-hardened alloys. These composites consist of a hard particle constituent in a softer metal matrix. The particle constituent seldom exceeds 3% by volume, and the particles are very small, below micrometer sizes. The characteristics of the particles largely control the property of the alloy, and a spacing of 0.2-0.3 tim between particles usually helps optimize properties. As particle size increases, less material is required to achieve the desired interparticle spacing. Refractory oxide particles are often used, although intermetallics such as AlFes also find use. Dispersion-hardened composites are formed in several ways, including surface oxidation of ultrafine metal powders, resulting in trapped metal oxide particles within the metal matrix. Metals of commercial interest for dispersion-hardened alloys include aluminum, nickel, and tungsten. 

When alkali metals are present in processes, reduced service life can be expected over inert atmosphere performance for any refractory material used on the hot face. However, lining performance can be optimized by judicious selection of the hot face brick composition and designing the thermal gradient in the lining to keep the hot face brick as cool as possible. 

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