Provided herein are manufacturing methods of a metal matrix nanocomposite, comprising: providing a molten metal including a first reactant; providing a molten salt, including a second set of reactants and a diluting salt, over a surface of the molten metal; and maintaining the molten salt and the molten metal at a temperature sufficient to react the first reactant and the second set of reactants, such that nanostructures with controlled small sizes are formed adjacent to an interface between the molten salt and the molten metal, and are incorporated into the molten metal for mass manufacturing of metal matrix nanocomposite.

The invention relates to vertical or inclined electrodes of an electrolyzer for electrolytically producing aluminum from aluminum oxide. An electrode contains an electrode base and a surface coating based on refractory ceramics. According to a first variant of the invention, the electrode base is made of a composite material containing between 5% and 90% by mass of refractory ceramics, and of at least one metal having a melting temperature exceeding 1000° C., which forms refractory intermetallic compounds upon interaction with aluminum, and/or containing at least one alloy of such a metal. According to a second variant of the invention, the electrode base is made of a metal alloy, for example structural steel or another alloy, and the surface of the electrode base has applied thereto an intermediary layer consisting of a composite material having the composition described above.

Disclosed herein are structures comprising a titanium, zirconium, or hafnium powder particle with titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, or hafnium carbide (respectively) nano-whiskers grown directly from and anchored to the powder particle. Also disclosed are methods for fabrication of such structures, involving heating the powder particles and exposing the particles to an organic gas.

A downhole cutting tool includes a tool body with a cutting element or cutting element pocket thereon. At least a portion of the tool body or an attachment thereto is a metal matrix composite formed from metal carbide particles dispersed in a continuous metal matrix. The metal carbide particles make up less than 45 wt % of the metal matrix composite and/or less than 30 vol % of the metal matrix composite. The continuous metal matrix may also be formed from a metal or metal alloy other than Ni—Si—B and/or have a transverse rupture strength greater than 150 ksi and a fracture toughness over 22 ksi*in.sup.0.5.

A hierarchical composite wear component may have a reinforcement in the most exposed part to wear, the reinforcement including a three-dimensionally interconnected network of periodically alternating millimetric ceramic-metal composite granules with millimetric interstices. The ceramic-metal composite granules have at least 52 vol %, preferably at least 61 vol %, more preferably at least 70 vol % of micrometric particles of titanium carbide embedded in a first metal matrix. The ceramic-metal composite granules have a density of at least 4.8 g/cm.sup.3. The three-dimensionally interconnected network of ceramic-metal composite granules with its millimetric interstices is embedded in the second metal matrix. The reinforcement has on average at least 23 vol %, more preferably at least 28 vol %, most preferably at least 30 vol % of titanium carbide, the first metal matrix being different from the second metal matrix, the second metal matrix including a ferrous cast alloy.

A method for depositing a hardened layer includes sequentially depositing a hardened layer formed by supplying a powder material for forming a hardened layer, which is obtained by mixing a plurality of kinds of powders, to a substrate, and melting and solidifying the powder material on/above the substrate. The powder material contains a first powder containing an alloy to be serving as a matrix portion of the hardened layer and a second powder containing a ceramic. The method includes heating the powder material until at least a part of the second powder is melted, to allow at least a part of metal elements contained in the melted second powder to be dissolved in the matrix portion of the hardened layer.

A copper-based nanocomposite includes a matrix including copper, and nanostructures dispersed in the matrix, wherein the nanocomposite has a yield strength of about 300 MPa or greater, and a ductility of about 5% or greater. Manufacturing methods of a copper-based nanocomposite are also provided.

A biomedical device includes a zinc-based material including a matrix including zinc, and nanostructures dispersed in the matrix. Embodiments of this disclosure are directed to zinc (Zn)-based materials including dispersed nanostructures for biomedical applications and devices, such as bioresorbable vascular stents, bioresorbable ureteral stents, endoluminal springs for distraction enterogenesis, biodegradable bone implants with tunable modulus, guided bone generation membranes, bioresorbable dental membranes, and other biomedical implants, as well as other functional applications, such as biodegradable electronics and sensors.

A component of a downhole tool utilized in oil and natural gas exploration and production comprises inorganic hydrolysable compound-containing materials. The inorganic hydrolysable compounds grant the component the degradability/dissolution in aqueous environment. The inorganic hydrolysable compounds include, but not are limited to, hydrolysable carbides, nitrides, and sulfides, such as aluminum carbide (Al.sub.4C.sub.3), calcium carbide (CaC.sub.2), magnesium carbide (Mg.sub.2C.sub.3 or MgCl.sub.2), manganese carbide (Mn.sub.3C), aluminum nitride (AlN), calcium nitride (Ca.sub.3N.sub.2), magnesium nitride (Mg.sub.3N.sub.2), aluminum sulfide (Al.sub.2S.sub.3), aluminum magnesium carbide (Al.sub.2MgCl.sub.2), and aluminum zinc carbide (Al.sub.4Zn.sub.2C.sub.3).

A method of preparing a mixture of a metal or metal alloy and (Nb.sub.xTi.sub.1-x)C (where 0<x≤1) in which (Nb.sub.xTi.sub.1-x)C in particulate form (either with or without metal powder) is formed into a preform and then if necessary added to the metal. The resulting (Nb.sub.xTi.sub.1-x)C/metal mixture can then be heated to a temperature below the melting point of the (Nb.sub.xTi.sub.1-x)C and optionally dispersed in liquid metal and/or casted and cooled to produce a solid product with improved physical properties.