Iron-zirconium oxygen scavenger - is oxygen absorptive over wide range of conditions and is useful at low pressures

The use of an amorphous Fe-Zr alloy as a scavenger of O has been claimed. The alloy compsns. (atomic-%) Fe 85-95; and Zr 5-15, (esp. the compsn. corresp. to Fe91Zr9) have been found to absorb O at 150 deg.C and 1 bar in quantities ranging from 0.4-400mg/gm alloy. The O absorbtion at low pressures has been found effective at O partial pressures of 10-10 power(-7) mbar and up to temps. of 300 deg.C. USE/ADVANTAGE - Method is esp. useful for mopping up small quantities of O in high vacuum. The O absorbtive properties of the alloys is very good over a wide range of conditions. Cost effective. In an example, 195mg of an amorphous Fe91Zr9 alloy was heated at 250 deg.C for 15 hrs. at 1 bar in an atmos. of N contg. an O partial pressure of 0.01 mbar. Subsequent gravimetric tests showed that the alloy had absorbed O at a rate of 12.8mg O per gm. Other examples (if needed) are indicated on the patent itself.