Process of making metal powders and products produced thereby

Claim 2

In a process for making metal-bearing powders comprising the formation of an organometallic salt and the subsequent decomposition of said salt to a said metal-bearing powder, the improvement comprising the steps of 1. reacting a carboxylic acid with a first metal reactant to form an organometallic salt seed, 2. reacting a carboxylic acid with a second metal reactant, in a liquid medium with said first carboxylic salt, and growing a second organometallic salt material on said seed, said seed causing a modification in the normal growth pattern of said second salt, 3. recovering a solid organometallic salt product comprising both said seed and said second organometallic salt, and 4. decomposing said salt product to a metal-bearing powder.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said seed is needle-like in shape and forms means to modify the morphology of said second salt such that, on reduction, to a metal which is derived from said second metal reactant, the magnetic properties of said metal are substantially enhanced over said properties achievable when said seed crystal is not utilized.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said seed comprises, as its primary metallic component, cobalt.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said second organometallic salt material contains cobalt, iron and nickel.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said second organometallic salt material contains iron and nickel.

Claim 7

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said organometallic salts is an oxalate.

Claim 8

A process as defined in claim 3 wherein at least one of said organometallic salts is an oxalate.

Claim 9

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal-bearing powder is a ferromagnetic metal.

Claim 10

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said metal in said first metal reactant is cobalt, and said second metal reactant comprises nickel.

Claim 11

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said seed is equant in shape and forms means to modify the morphology of said second salt such that, on reduction, to a metal which is derived from said second metal composition, the magnetic properties will have a squareness value of about 0.5.

Claim 12

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein said second metal is predominantly cobalt.

Claim 13

A process for attaching a porous metal-bearing material to an inorganic metal-bearing catalytic support comprising the steps of a. reacting said support member with a carboxylic acid to form a first organometallic salt of a metal component of said support material and said carboxylic acid, b. growing a second organometallic salt on said first salt, said second organometallic material comprising a catalytically active metal component, and c. reducing both said organometallic salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically active component to said inorganic catalytic support.

Claim 14

A process for attaching a porous metal-bearing material to an inorganic metal-bearing catalytic support comprising the steps of a. reacting said support member with a carboxylic acid to form a first organometallic salt of a metal component of said support material and said carboxylic acid, b. growing a second organometallic salt on said first salt, said second organometallic material comprising a catalytically active metal component, and c. reducing both said organometallic salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically active component to said inorganic catalytic support.

Claim 15

A process as defined in claim 12 wherein said support is steel and said acid is oxalic acid, and wherein said porous metal is a cobalt-bearing alloy.

Claim 16

Organometallic salt crystal product formed of a nucleus of a seed crystal component comprising a first metal composition and 2) a second organometallic salt component of a different metal composition grown on said nucleus, the morphology of said seed crystal dominating the morphology of the salt crystal product, said product being formed by a process comprising the steps of 1. reacting a carboxylic acid with a first metal reactant to form an organometallic salt seed, 2. reacting a carboxylic acid with a second metal reactant, in a liquid medium with said first carboxylic salt, growing a second organometallic salt material on said seed, said seed causing a modification in the normal growth pattern of said second salt, and 3. recovering a solid organometallic salt product comprising both said seed and said second organometallic salt.

Claim 17

Organometallic salt crystal product formed of a nucleus of a seed crystal component comprising a first metal composition and 2) a second organometallic salt component of a different metal composition grown on said nucleus, the morphology of said seed crystal dominating the morphology of the salt crystal product, said product being formed by a process comprising the steps of 1. reacting a carboxylic acid with a first metal reactant to form an organometallic salt seed, 2. reacting a carboxylic acid with a second metal reactant, in a liquid medium with said first carboxylic salt, growing a second organometallic salt material on said seed, said seed causing a modification in the normal growth pattern of said second salt, and 3. recovering a solid organometallic salt product comprising both said seed and said second organometallic salt.

Claim 18

A salt product as defined in claim 14 wherein said product is a needle-like in shape.

Claim 19

A product as defined in claim 15 wherein said crystal comprises, as its primary metallic component, cobalt.

Claim 20

A product as defined in claim 15 wherein said product comprises nickel, cobalt and iron.

Claim 21

A product as defined in claim 14 wherein said salt is a metal oxalate.

Claim 22

A product as defined in claim 15 wherein said salt is a metal oxalate.

Claim 23

A product as defined in claim 16 wherein said salt is a metal oxalate.

Claim 24

A product as defined in claim 18 wherein said salt is a metal oxalate.

Claim 25

A product comprising an inorganic support member and a thin layer of an organometallic salt catalytic metal-bearing material thereon, said salt being decomposable to catalytic metal and being bonded to said support member by growth on a salt structure which is the reaction product of an acid and the inorganic support structure, said product being formed by a process comprising the steps of a. reacting said support member with an acid to form a first salt of a metal component of said support material and said acid, b. growing a second salt on said first salt, said second material comprising a catalytically-active metal component, and c. reducing both said salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically-active component to said inorganic support.

Claim 26

A product comprising an inorganic support member and a thin layer of an organometallic salt catalytic metal-bearing material thereon, said salt being decomposable to catalytic metal and being bonded to said support member by growth on a salt structure which is the reaction product of an acid and the inorganic support structure, said product being formed by a process comprising the steps of a. reacting said support member with an acid to form a first salt of a metal component of said support material and said acid, b. growing a second salt on said first salt, said second material comprising a catalytically-active metal component, and c. reducing both said salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically-active component to said inorganic support.

Claim 27

A product as defined in claim 22 wherein said inorganic support surface is steel and said organometallic salt is an oxalate.

Claim 28

A product as defined in claim 22 wherein said catalytic metal is selected from the group of metals comprising iron, nickel, cobalt or alloys bearing one of said metals.

Claim 29

A product comprising an inorganic support surface and a thin layer of catalytic metal-bearing material thereon, said metal adherently bonded thereto by an intermetallic bond with said substrate formed of the reduction product of a mixed salt comprising metal of said substrate and catalytic metal, said product formed by a process comprising the step of a. reacting said support member with an acid to form a first salt of a metal component of said support material and said acid, b. growing a second salt on said first salt, said second material comprising a catalytically-active metal component, and c. reducing both said salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically-active component to said inorganic support.

Claim 30

A product comprising an inorganic support surface and a thin layer of catalytic metal-bearing material thereon, said metal adherently bonded thereto by an intermetallic bond with said substrate formed of the reduction product of a mixed salt comprising metal of said substrate and catalytic metal, said product formed by a process comprising the step of a. reacting said support member with an acid to form a first salt of a metal component of said support material and said acid, b. growing a second salt on said first salt, said second material comprising a catalytically-active metal component, and c. reducing both said salts to said metal-bearing material, thereby bonding said catalytically-active component to said inorganic support.

Claim 31

A product as defined in claim 25 wherein said salt is formed of a carboxylic acid.

Claim 32

A product as defined in claim 15 wherein said seed crystal is a reaction product of cobalt and a carboxylic acid and wherein said different metal composition is such that a ferromagnetic metal product is formed on reduction of said salt crystal product.

Claim 33

A product as defined in claim 22 wherein said salt is formed of a carboxylic acid.

Claim 34

A process as defined in claim 12 wherein said catalytic metal is a nickel-bearing metal.

Claim 35

A process as defined in claim 12 wherein said catalytic metal is an iron-bearing metal.