Patent ID: 8328899

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of titanium alloy powders, the method including the following steps: (a) mechanically milling titanium dioxide, and optionally one or more other oxides, together with aluminium powder; (b) heating the mixture to a temperature of between about 700° C. and about 1200° C. in a vacuum or an inert environment to form a titanium metal matrix ceramic composite; (c) crushing the titanium metal matrix ceramic composite; (d) mixing the crushed titanium metal matrix ceramic composite with a suitable reducing agent and heating to a temperature between about 1100° C. and about 1500° C. in a vacuum or an inert environment to reduce the oxide components of the titanium metal matrix ceramic composite, wherein the suitable reducing agent is calcium hydride or magnesium hydride; (e) crushing and washing the result of step (d); and (f) recovering the titanium alloy powder.