Synthesis of niobium aluminides by electro-deoxidation of oxides

Niobium aluminides were produced by the direct reduction of mixtures of niobium and aluminium oxides. Pellets of the mixed oxides were made the cathode in molten CaCl2 or a CaCl2–XCl melt, where X was either Na or Li. The oxygen in the pellets ionised, dissolved in the melt, and was discharged at the anode. The cathode reduced to a mixture of Nb3Al and Nb2Al which corresponded to the ratio of Nb to Al in the original oxide pellets.