In many instances the use of master alloys is the most effective way of introducing controlled levels of rare earth metal to more complex alloy systems. The principal reason for adding rare earth metals in this way, is due to the very high oxidation potential of RE metals and a good master alloy will control oxygen content and will stabilise metals that would normally oxidise in the atmosphere.
The use of a master alloy delivers the benefits of improved yields, together with extremely precise and reproducible rare earth additions. LCM master alloys are used in the manufacture of corrosion resistant steels, high temperature alloys and various specialised systems. For individual applications LCM engineers are able to advise on the most suitable master alloy composition.
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| Common Master Alloy Systems: |
| Infinite combinations can be considered. |
|
|
| Rare Earth |
|
Non-Rare Earth |
| Yttrium |
alloyed with |
Iron |
| Lanthanum |
|
Cobalt |
| Cerium |
|
Nickel |
| Cerium mischmetal |
|
Copper |
| Praseodymium |
|
Aluminium |
| Neodymium |
|
|
| Samarium |
|
|
| Gadolinium |
|
|
| Terbium |
|
|
| Dysprosium |
|
|
Please refer to the phase diagrams in the ‘Technical’ section of our website.
Form
Material is routinely supplied in the form of cast ingot or ingot pieces with piece size varying according to customer requirements.
Quantity
Typical batch sizes for master alloys range from 50kg to 2000kg
Packaging
Packaging varies depending on the nature of the master alloy. In general LCM will recommend suitable systems for approval by the customer.
Quality assurance
Production processes are part of our quality management system—certified to ISO9001: 2000 standard. Each batch is supplied with a Certificate of Conformance detailing the chemical analysis results according to the specification agreed between LCM and the customer.
