Abstract

Pure tantalum powder has been produced by combining Na as a reducing agent, K_2TaF_7 as feed material, KCl and KF as a diluent in a stainless steel(SUS) bomb, using the method of metallothermic reduction. The present study investigated the effect of the amount of the diluent and reaction temperature on the characteristics of tantalum powder in the production process. The temperature applied in this study 850°C and the amount of the additional reductant from +5% of the theoretical amount used for the reduction of the entire K_2TaF_7. The results showed that as the amount of the diluent increased, the reaction temperature became lower because the diluent prevented a temperature rise. Also, according to the mixture ratio of the feed materials and the diluent changed from 1 : 0.25 to 1 : 2, the particle size decreased from 5mutextrmm to 1mutextrmm and a particle size distribution which is below 325 mesh in fined powder increases from 71% to 83%. The average size of Tantalum powder, 2-4mutextrmm, was close to that of the commercial powders(2-5mutextrmm). Also under this condition, impurities contained in the powder were within the range allowed for the commercial Ta powders.

• Keywords: Ta Powder;Feed materials;Reductant;Diluent;Particle size distribution;Yield;Morphology;Chemical composition;