Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:58:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcioWDM.pdf: 1222615 bytes, checksum: 363df5ee1daf20ddbc955155e60347ed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The aluminothermic reduction consists in an exothermic reaction between a metallic oxide and aluminum to produce the metal and the scum. The extracted melted metal of that reaction usually comes mixed with particles of Al2O3 resulting of the reduction, needing of subsequent refine to eliminate the residual impure as well as to eliminate porosities. Seeking to obtain a product in powder form with nanometric size or even submicrometric, the conventional heat source of the reaction aluminothermic , where a resistor is used (ignitor) as ignition source was substituted, for the plasma, that acts more efficient way in each particle of the sample. In that work it was used as metallic oxide the niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) for the exothermal reaction Nb2O5 + Al. Amounts stoichiometric, substoichiometric and superestoichiometric of aluminum were used. The Nb2O5 powder was mixed with aluminum powder and milled in planetarium of high energy for a period of 6 hours. Those powders were immerged in plasm that acts in a punctual way in each particle, transfering heat, so that the reaction can be initiate and spread integrally for the whole volume of the particle. The mixture of Nb2O5 + Al was characterized through the particle size analysis by laser and X-ray diffraction (DRX) and the obtained product of reaction was characterized using the electronic microscopy of sweeping (MEV) and the formed phases were analyzed by DRX. Niobium powders with inferior sizes to 1 mm were obtained by that method. It is noticed, through the analysis of the obtained results, that is possible to accomplish the aluminothermic reduction process by plasma ignition with final particles with inferior sizes to the original oxide / A redu??o aluminot?rmica consiste na rea??o exot?rmica de um ?xido met?lico com alum?nio para produzir o metal e a esc?ria. O metal fundido extra?do dessa rea??o vem normalmente misturado com part?culas de alumina resultante da redu??o, necessitando de um refino posterior tanto para eliminar as impurezas residuais como tamb?m para eliminar porosidades. Visando obter um produto em forma de p? e com tamanho nanom?trico ou at? mesmo submicrom?trico, foi substitu?da a fonte convencional de calor da rea??o aluminotermica, onde se utiliza um resistor (ignitor) como fonte de igni??o, pelo plasma, que atua de forma mais eficiente em cada part?cula da amostra. Nesse trabalho foi utilizado como ?xido met?lico o pent?xido de ni?bio (Nb2O5) para a rea??o exot?rmica Nb2O5 + Al. Foram utilizadas quantidades estequiom?tricas, subestequiom?tricas e superestequiom?tricas de alum?nio. O p? de Nb2O5 foi misturado com p? de alum?nio e mo?dos em planet?rio de alta energia por um per?odo de 6 horas. Esses p?s foram imersos em plasma que age de forma pontual em cada part?cula, transferindo calor, de modo que a rea??o possa ser iniciada e propagada integralmente para todo o volume da part?cula. A mistura de Nb2O5 + Al foi caracterizada atrav?s da granulometria a laser e difra??o de raios X (DRX) e o produto da rea??o obtido foi caracterizado utilizando a microscopia eletr?nica de varredura (MEV) e as fases formadas foram analisadas por DRX. Nota-se, atrav?s da an?lise dos resultados obtidos, que ? poss?vel realizar o processo de redu??o aluminot?rmica por igni??o a plasma com part?culas finais com tamanhos inferiores ao do ?xido original