Patent ID: 7431751

Claim:
A method of producing a refractory metal powder comprising: (A) heating a mixture comprising a metal oxide powder and magnesium at a flash temperature to produce a metal powder containing magnesium tantalate or magnesium niobate wherein said magnesium in the mixture is in an amount substantially equal to the stoichiometric quantity required to react with the metal oxide, and said flash temperature is near but less than the melting point of the metal oxide; and (B) heating the powder in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a reducing agent to a temperature sufficient to remove magnesium tantalate or magnesium niobate from the powder (reduction step) and heating the powder under vacuum to a temperature sufficient to remove magnesium tantalate or magnesium niobate from the powder (heating under vacuum step), the reduction step and heating under vacuum step can be performed in any order.