H.C.Starck Ltd
History
The Fabricated Products Division
of H.C.Starck based in West Horndon is descended from Murex Ltd (Founded in
1909). It separated from Murex in 1969 and became known as Special Metals
Fabrication Ltd until being acquired by CSM Industries, an American Molybdenum
producer, in 1988. CSM was bought by H.C.Starck, (founded in 1900), a World leader in Tantalum production with plants in Newton MA. Thailand and Goslar Germany. H.C.Starck (UK) has plants in West Horndon near Brentwood Essex and Calne near Swindon in Wiltshire. All refractory metals are fabricated at West Horndon, the Calne plant specialising in Electro-Plating operations and molybdenum disc production.
Refractory Metal Guide
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A furnace rack and boats fabricated from lanthanated Mo for operation at 1800°C in vacuum
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The effect of heating molybdenum and Muride coated molybdenum at 1100°C in air. (Muride coating is an anti-oxidation coating for refractory metals to prevent them oxidising when heated above 250°C in air)
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The term 'Refractory Metals' is applied to metals which have a melting point higher 1750°C. For economic reasons, it is therefore usually not feasible to extract and process these materials using conventional methods of melt metallurgy. And so we employ special chemical processes in production.
Principal materials in the group are Tungsten (melting point 3410°C), Tantalum (2996°C), Molybdenum (2610°C) and Niobium (2468°C). Zirconium although its melting point is 1852°C is also included in the group but its use is mainly in the chemical industry. Other refractory metals are Rhenium (3180°C), Iridium (2454°C), Hafnium (2222°C) and Osmium (3045°C).
Iridium and Osmium are both also metals in the Platinum group of precious metals and all three are very expensive to produce precluding their use to very specialist applications such as nozzles for ceramic fibre production. Vanadium and Chromium are rarely used in pure form, normally alloyed in steel. Rhenium is also very expensive and is often added to special tungsten or molybdenum alloys to improve ductility.
Design support in constructing components made of refractory metals
H.C. Starck offers a unique service in the field of refractory metal processing: Their experts provide answers and solutions to challenges and problems in all areas ranging from construction to alloying. In cooperation with their customers, they have used many years of experience to solve all construction and material problems emerging from the development and improvement of refractory metals. To prevent oxidation, which occurs in all refractory metals above 250°C, a CVD coating process is available. The effect of heating a coated and un-coated piece of molybdenum in air at 1100°C is illustrated in the picture.
Contributions to the EuroStir® Project
- To supply refractory metals for FSW tools
- To provide design support on a confidential base
- To assess the suitability of commercially available alloys for FSW of materials with high melting points
A turned molybdenum support ring,
three dimensional
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