Patent ID: 8840700

Claim:
A particle mixture composition comprising: a) between about 35 mass % and about 60 mass % of a first metallic particle component comprising a first metal, based on the total mass of metal particles in the composition; b) a second metallic particle component comprising a second metal that forms intermetallic species with the first metal at temperature T 1 , wherein the intermetallic species have a minimum melting temperature not less than 10° C. above T 1 , wherein: i) the second metallic particle component comprises an excess of the second metal over the amount required to completely convert all of the first metal to the intermetallic species, and ii) the second metallic particle component comprises at least about 10 mass % of a first alloy of the second metal and a carrier, that is molten at T 1 wherein heating the particle mixture to T1 produces reaction products comprising: (1) at least 75 mass % of a thermally stable component that does not melt below 300° C.; and (2) at least 5 mass % of a remelting component dispersed throughout the thermally stable component, that remelts at a temperature T 2 , wherein remelting T 2 is below 220° C., wherein remelting occurs with consistent energy throughout multiple exposures to a temperature between T 2 and 300° C.