Fabrication of co-cr-al-y feed stock

Claim 1

In the production of an ingot of a selected cross-sectional dimension for use in crucible vaporization for a coating process, the ingot being an alloy having a reactive element as one constituent, the alloy without the reactive element being workable and the reactive element being workable, the complete alloy with the reactive element therein however being much less workable, the completed ingot being fed axially through an opening in the crucible for vaporization to produce a coating vapor having the elements of the alloy in the desired proportions including the reactive element, the crucible having an opening to receive the ingot, the steps of: forming an elongated billet having the ingredients of and in the proportions of the alloy and without the reactive element included therein; making a hole from end to end of the ingot, this hole having an area related to the area of the billet substantially the same as the percentage of reactive element in the alloy; positioning a rod of the reactive element within the billet, said rod having a cross-sectional area related to the area of the billet the same as the proportion of the reactive element in the alloy, said rod extending axially of the billet from end to end; reducing the billet from its formed size to an ingot having a shape and dimension to fit the opening in the crucible so that it may be fed therethrough and the cross section of the ingot having all the ingredients of the alloy in proper proportion therein, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the rod in the ingot to the cross-sectional area of the ingot being comparable to the desired percent of the reactive element in the remainder of the alloy; and feeding the completed ingot through said opening in the crucible for vaporization into an alloy.