A method of producing a steel foam component includes providing a mold defining a cavity. The method also includes positioning an insert within the cavity of the mold. The insert can be configured to form a generally uniform pattern of pores within the steel foam component, and in some cases occupies at least 20% of the cavity. The method can further include pouring molten steel into the cavity, cooling the molten steel into the steel foam component, and removing the steel foam component and the insert from the mold. Steel components having internal shapes corresponding to the insert(s) are also provided.

The present invention relates to a camshaft device, which allows a plurality of components to be assembled to a main shaft, and a method for manufacturing the camshaft device. The camshaft device may include: a main shaft lengthily extending in the lengthwise direction; at least one cam lobe assembled to the main shaft and formed eccentrically from a rotation axis of the main shaft; at least one journal bearing assembled to the main shaft and formed to rotatably support the main shaft; and at least one guide shaft assembled to the main shaft and installed between the cam lobe and another cam lobe so as to align an assembling position of the cam lobe or the journal bearing.

A three-dimensional metallic foam is fabricated with an active oxide material for use as an anode for lithium batteries. The porous metal foam, which can be fabricated by a freeze-casting process, is used as the anode current collector of the lithium battery. The porous metal foam can be heat-treated to form an active oxide material to form on the surface of the metal foam. The oxide material acts as the three-dimensional active material that reacts with lithium ions during charging and discharging.

A composite structure including a metal form. The composite structure further includes an aerogel matrix formed of an aerogel, with the aerogel matrix being nanoporous and including a plurality of aerogel pores. A polymer occupies at least a portion of the aerogel pores of the aerogel matrix. The polymer is a thermoplastic. The thermoplastic is nanoporous and includes a plurality of thermoplastic pores. The thermoplastic pores are less than 10 nanometers in size. The polymer is impregnated within the aerogel pores of the aerogel matrix. The aerogel comprises at least 20% by weight of the composite structure. The aerogel pores are less than 10 nanometers in size. The composite structure further contains filler material. The filler material may be graphene. The composite structure further contains reinforcing agents.

Provided herein are titanium alloys that can achieve a combination of high strength and high toughness or elongation, and a method to produce the alloys. By tolerating iron, oxygen, and other incidental elements and impurities, the alloys enable the use of lower quality scrap as raw materials. The alloys are castable and can form -phase laths in a basketweave morphology by a commercially feasible heat treatment that does not require hot-working or rapid cooling rates. The alloys comprise, by weight, about 3.0% to about 6.0% aluminum, 0% to about 1.5% tin, about 2.0% to about 4.0% vanadium, about 0.5% to about 4.5% molybdenum, about 1.0% to about 2.5% chromium, about 0.20% to about 0.55% iron, 0% to about 0.35% oxygen, 0% to about 0.007% boron, and 0% to about 0.60% other incidental elements and impurities, the balance of weight percent comprising titanium.

Provided herein are titanium alloys that can achieve a combination of high strength and high toughness or elongation, and a method to produce the alloys. By tolerating iron, oxygen, and other incidental elements and impurities, the alloys enable the use of lower quality scrap as raw materials. The alloys are castable and can form -phase laths in a basketweave morphology by a commercially feasible heat treatment that does not require hot-working or rapid cooling rates. The alloys comprise, by weight, about 3.0% to about 6.0% aluminum, 0% to about 1.5% tin, about 2.0% to about 4.0% vanadium, about 0.5% to about 4.5% molybdenum, about 1.0% to about 2.5% chromium, about 0.20% to about 0.55% iron, 0% to about 0.35% oxygen, 0% to about 0.007% boron, and 0% to about 0.60% other incidental elements and impurities, the balance of weight percent comprising titanium.

A hollow spherical glass particle, comprising aluminum oxide Al.sub.2O.sub.3, silicon dioxide SiO.sub.2 and at least one metal oxide, wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal oxides and alkaline earth metal oxides, wherein the ratio of aluminum atoms to alkali metal atoms is about 1:1 and the ratio of aluminum atoms to earth alkali atoms is about 2:1, with the proviso that the hollow spherical glass particle is free of boron.

A hollow spherical glass particle, comprising aluminum oxide Al.sub.2O.sub.3, silicon dioxide SiO.sub.2 and at least one metal oxide, wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal oxides and alkaline earth metal oxides, wherein the ratio of aluminum atoms to alkali metal atoms is about 1:1 and the ratio of aluminum atoms to earth alkali atoms is about 2:1, with the proviso that the hollow spherical glass particle is free of boron.

A medical scope device such as an endoscope is produced using a cast aluminum process including a molten casting aluminum alloy including a maximum of 0.2-0.3% Si and at least 5% Zn. The process includes providing an investment casting mold, casting the aluminum alloy in the mold to create a component and removing the mold from the component, post-machining the component to meet a desired specification, and after post-machining the component, performing surface finishing, such as centrifugal barrel finishing (CBF) sufficient to remove impurities on casting surfaces by 2-3 mils, then coating the component with a micro-crystalline aluminum anodic coating of at least 0.5 mil thickness. A medical scope and product-by-process is also provided employing such techniques.

Provided is a titanium cast product made of commercially pure titanium, the titanium cast product being produced by electron-beam remelting or plasma arc melting, comprising: a melted and resolidified layer in a range of 1 mm or more in depth at a surface serving as a surface to be rolled, the melted and resolidified layer being obtained by adding one or more kinds of stabilizer elements to the surface and melting and resolidifying the surface. An average value of stabilizer element(s) concentration in a range of within 1 mm in depth is higher than stabilizer element(s) concentration in a base material by, in mass %, equal to or more than 0.08 mass % and equal to or less than 1.50 mass %. As the material containing the stabilizer element, powder, a chip, wire, or foil is used. As means for melting a surface layer, electron-beam heating and plasma arc heating are used.