Scala: idiomatic way to combine a list of maps with the highest value of each key?

I have a list of [Int, Int] cards that have the same keys (1 to 20), and I would like to combine their contents into one [Int, Int] card.

I read another post about stack overflow about merging cards using |+|from scalaz library.

I came up with the following solution, but to me it seems awkward.

val defaultMap = (2 to ceiling).map((_,0)).toMap
val factors: Map[Int, Int] = (2 to ceiling). map(primeFactors(_)).
        foldRight(defaultMap)(mergeMaps(_, _))

def mergeMaps(xm: Map[Int, Int], ym: Map[Int, Int]): Map[Int,Int] = {
    def iter(acc: Map[Int,Int], other: Map[Int,Int], i: Int): Map[Int,Int] = {
      if (other.isEmpty) acc
      else iter(acc - i + (i -> math.max(acc(i), other(i))), other - i, i + 1)
    }
    iter(xm, ym, 2)
  }

def primeFactors(number: Int): Map[Int, Int] = {
  def iter(factors: Map[Int,Int], rem: Int, i: Int): Map[Int,Int] = {
    if (i > number) factors
    else if (rem % i == 0) iter(factors - i + (i -> (factors(i)+1)), rem / i, i)
    else iter(factors, rem, i + 1)
  }
  iter((2 to ceiling).map((_,0)).toMap, number, 2)
}

Explanation: val factorscreates a list of cards, each of which represents the main factors for numbers from 2-20; then these 18 cards are stacked into one card containing the highest value for each key.

UPDATE

@folone, ( , HashMaps):

import scalaz._
import Scalaz._
import Tags._

/**
 * Smallest Multiple
 *
 * 2520 is the smallest number that can be divided by each of the numbers 
 * from 1 to 10 without any remainder. What is the smallest positive number 
 * that is evenly divisible by all of the numbers from 1 to 20?
 *
 * User: Alexandros Bantis
 * Date: 1/29/13
 * Time: 8:07 PM
 */
object Problem005 {

  def findSmallestMultiple(ceiling: Int): Int = {
    val factors = (2 to ceiling).map(primeFactors(_).mapValues(MaxVal)).reduce(_ |+| _)
    (1 /: factors.map(m => intPow(m._1, m._2)))(_ * _)
  }

  private def primeFactors(number: Int): Map[Int, Int] = {
    def iter(factors: Map[Int,Int], rem: Int, i: Int): Map[Int,Int] = {
      if (i > number) factors.filter(_._2 > 0).mapValues(MaxVal)
      else if (rem % i == 0) iter(factors - i + (i -> (factors(i)+1)), rem / i, i)
      else iter(factors, rem, i + 1)
    }
    iter((2 to number).map((_,0)).toMap, number, 2)
  }

  private def intPow(x: Int, y: Int): Int = {
    def iter(acc: Int, rem: Int): Int = {
      if (rem == 0) acc
      else iter(acc * x, rem -1)
    }
    if (y == 0) 1 else iter(1, y)
  }
}