Non-ferrous alloy and method of manufacture thereof

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ALLOY CONTAINING BERYLLIUM AND HAVING AS ITS BASE A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT AND IRON, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE SEQUENTIAL STEPS OF THAN 2.3 ATOMIC PERCENT CHROMIUM WITH THE REMAINDER (1) MELTING SAID BASE METAL WITH A QUANTITY OF CARBON; (2) ADDING TO THE RESULTING MELT A QUANTITY OF AN OXIDE OF SAID BASE METAL SUFFICIENT TO REACT THEREWITH AND CAUSE THE EVOLUTION OF CARBON OXIDE AND CARBON MONOXIDE THEREBY EFFECTING A FIRST PURIFICATION; (3) ADDING TO SAID FIRST PURIFIED MELT A QUANTITY OF SILICON SUFFICIENT TO EACT AND CHEMICALLY COMBINE WITH THE OXYGEN OF SAID MELT; (4) REMOVING FROM THE MELT THE REACTION PRODUCT OF THE SILICON AND OXYGEN THEREBY EFFECTING A SECOND PURIFICATION OF THE MELT; (5) ADDING UP TO 0.5% TITANIUM TO THE MELT TO COMBINE WITH ANY NITROGEN GAS PRESENT TO FORM TITANIUM NITRIDE; (6) ADDING APPROXIMATELY 0.0025% BORON; (7) ADDING APPROXIMATELY 0.0025% OF ZIRCONIUM IN THE FORM OF PURE ZIRCONIUM SPONGE; (8) FINALLY ADDING TO THE MELT THE DESIRED ADDITIONAL ALLOYING ELEMENTS INCLUDING BERYLLIUM.