Method of producing agglomerates highly resistant against heat and/or chemical attack

Claim 1

IN PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A MOLDED ARTICLE COMPRISING A HOMOGENEOUS AGGLOMERATE OF METAL AND METAL OXIDE FREE OF SLAG AND REGULUS, THE STEPS OF: INTRODUCING AN UNCOMPACTED FINELY DIVIDED REACTION MIXTURE INTO A MOLD, THE MIXTURE CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE PULVERIZED METAL AND AT LEAST ONE PULVERIZED METAL OXIDE CAPABLE OF UNDERGOING WITH EACH OTHER A NONEXPLOSIVE SELF-PROPAGATING EXOTHERMIC REACTION, THE REACTION BEING OF SUCH SPEED AND INTENSITY THAT NO SUBSTANTIAL SEGREGATION OF THE METAL-CONTAINING REACTION PRODUCTS OCCURS, IGNITING THE UNCOMPACTED MIXTURE TO INITIATE THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION, PERMITTING THE REACTION TO PROCEED TO COMPLETION, AND SUBJECTING THE REACTED MIXTURE TO A PRESSURE IN THE ORDER OF SEVERAL HUNDRED KILOGRAMS PER SQUARE CENTIMETER WHILE THE MIXTURE IS HOT TO COMPACT THE MIXTURE AND FORM IT INTO THE MOLD.