The invention includes apparatus and methods for instantiating precious metals in a nanoporous carbon powder.

A method for manufacturing a sintered component includes a step of making a green compact having a relative density of at least 88% by compression-molding a base powder containing a metal powder into a metallic die, a step of machining a groove part having a groove width of 1.0 mm or less in the green compact by processing groove with a cutting tool, and a step of sintering the green compact in which the groove part is formed after the step of forming the groove part.

A metal composition that includes a metal component and a flux. The metal component is composed of a first metal powder of a Sn-based metal, and a second metal powder of a Cu-based metal that has a higher melting point than the Sn-based metal. The flux includes a rosin, a solvent, a thixotropic agent, an activator, and the like. When the metal composition is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the first metal powder, the first metal powder is melted. The melted Sn and the CuNi alloy powder produce an intermetallic compound phase of a CuNiSn alloy through a TLP reaction.

A metal composition that includes a metal component and a flux. The metal component is composed of a first metal powder of a Sn-based metal, and a second metal powder of a Cu-based metal that has a higher melting point than the Sn-based metal. The flux includes a rosin, a solvent, a thixotropic agent, an activator, and the like. When the metal composition is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the first metal powder, the first metal powder is melted. The melted Sn and the CuNi alloy powder produce an intermetallic compound phase of a CuNiSn alloy through a TLP reaction.

Copper particles are provided that each include a core particle made of copper and a coating layer that coats the surface of the core particle, wherein the coating layer is made of a copper salt of an aliphatic organic acid. It is also preferable that the copper particles have an infrared absorption peak in a range of 1504 to 1514 cm.sup.−1 and no infrared absorption peak in a range of 1584 to 1596 cm.sup.−1. It is also preferable that, in thermogravimetric analysis of the copper particles, the temperature at which the ratio of the mass loss value to the mass loss value at 500° C. reaches 10% is from 150° C. to 220° C. A method is also provided for producing copper particles, the method including bringing core particles made of copper into contact with a solution containing a copper salt of an aliphatic organic acid to thereby coat the surface of the core particles.

This method is for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion module in which a first conductive member, a thermoelectric conversion element, a second conductive member are joined by joining members, the method comprising: a step for, after applying on the first conductive member a first paste including metal particles, disposing the thermoelectric conversion element on the first paste, and compressing and spreading the first paste; a step for disposing the second conductive member, after applying a second paste including metal particles in a controlled amount, on the thermoelectric conversion element, and compressing and spreading the second paste; and a step for sintering the first and the second pastes to obtain joining members.

Molded solder includes first metal powder and second metal powder. The first metal powder has a first solidus temperature and a first liquidus temperature and includes an alloy containing metal elements. The second metal powder has a melting temperature or a second solidus temperature and a second liquidus temperature and includes single metal element or an alloy containing metal elements. The melting temperature and the second liquidus temperature are higher than the first liquidus temperature. The molded solder is so constructed that a mixture of the first metal powder and the second metal powder are press-molded. The molded solder is so constructed that a first solidus temperature of a solder becomes higher when the molded solder becomes the solder after the first metal powder has been melted by heating the molded solder at a temperature equal to or higher than the first liquidus temperature.

This invention relates to a method of evaluating a squeegeeing property of powder for lamination shaping by stable criteria. In this method, the squeegeeing property is evaluated using at least a satellite adhesion ratio of the powder and an apparent density of the powder. The satellite adhesion ratio is the ratio of the number of particles on which satellites are adhered to the number of all particles. If the satellite adhesion ratio is equal to or less than 50%, and the apparent density is equal to or more than 3.5 g/cm.sup.3, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping. Furthermore, if the 50% particle size of a powder obtained by a laser diffraction method is 3 to 250 μm, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping.

This invention relates to a method of evaluating a squeegeeing property of powder for lamination shaping by stable criteria. In this method, the squeegeeing property is evaluated using at least a satellite adhesion ratio of the powder and an apparent density of the powder. The satellite adhesion ratio is the ratio of the number of particles on which satellites are adhered to the number of all particles. If the satellite adhesion ratio is equal to or less than 50%, and the apparent density is equal to or more than 3.5 g/cm.sup.3, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping. Furthermore, if the 50% particle size of a powder obtained by a laser diffraction method is 3 to 250 μm, the squeegeeing property is evaluated as that the powder can be spread into a uniform powder layer in the lamination shaping.

Provided is a heat sink that has a clad structure of a Cu—Mo composite material and a Cu material and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity. A heat sink comprises three or more Cu layers and two or more Cu—Mo composite layers alternately stacked in a thickness direction so that two of the Cu layers are outermost layers on both sides, wherein each of the Cu—Mo composite layers has a thickness section microstructure in which flat Mo phase is dispersed in a Cu matrix. The heat sink has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and also has high thermal conductivity in the thickness direction because the thickness of each of the Cu layers which are the outermost layers is reduced, as compared with a heat sink of a three-layer clad structure having the same thickness and density.