g with titanium rather than proceeding through a peritectic decomposition also where second metal reactants are shown in a reaction scheme and these reactants melt or react there will thus need to be present some additional second metal reactants which proceed through a peritectic decomposition for example alb 2 may be added to the reactants furthermore it is always contemplated that a second metal reactant decomposing by peritectic decomposition will provide the major amount i e greater than 50 mole percent of the second metal compounds as will be noted by reference to the above reaction schemes other starting materials will include a first metal as the elemental metal or a metal compound and the compound may often be a metal hydride the hydride as opposed to the elemental metal can provide a material of desirable reactivity typically free from oxidic surface layers the hydrogen in the hydride can be evolved at rather low temperatures so that the reaction mixture will comprise first metal in particulate form as the peritectic decomposition stage is reached it is contemplated that the first metal will always be a metal of the group ivb vb or vib of the periodic table or mixtures of such metals most always the first metal will thus be titanium zirconium hafnium vanadium niobium tantalum chromium molybdenum tungsten or mixtures thereof including intermetallic mixtures where a ceramic metal composite will be produced the first metal is advantageously present in hydride form for enhanced.