A composite precursor powder, including one or more metals or metalloids, and one or more oxides, wherein a molar ratio of the one or more metals or metalloids to the one or more oxides is from about 1:0.01 to about 1:4, and wherein the molar ratio of the one or more metals or metalloids to the one or more oxides is configured according to a desired volumetric change of the composite precursor powder when converted to a non-oxide ceramic.

A method for producing an article containing silicon carbide as the main constituent includes a plurality of sets of steps of forming a layer of a raw material powder and irradiating the layer with laser light according to three-dimensional model data. The low material powder is a mixture of silicon carbide powder, metallic silicon powder, and carbon powder. The laser light used in the step of irradiation with laser light has a spatial laser power density of 11 J/mm.sup.3 to 50 J/mm.sup.3.

A preform intended for the production of a dental prosthesis. The preform includes a group of agglomerated ceramic, glass-ceramic or glass particles, such that, as volume percents: more than 40% and less than 90% of the particles of said group have a size greater than 0.5 μm and less than 3.5 μm, said particles hereinafter being denoted “enamel particles”, and more than 10% and less than 60% of the particles of said group have a size greater than 3.5 μm and less than 5.5 μm, said particles hereinafter being denoted “dentine particles.” The microstructure of the preform is such that there is an axis X, termed “axis of variation”, along which the Ve/(Ve+Vd) ratio changes continuously, Ve and Vd denoting the volume percents of enamel particles and of dentine particles, respectively. The enamel and dentine particles representing, together, more than 90% of the volume of the agglomerated particles.

Described herein are embodiments directed to additive manufacturing (AM), including three-dimensional (3D) printing, of metal nitride ceramics. In some embodiments herein, AM may comprise powder bed fusion (PBF) techniques. Also described herein are metal nitride ceramic components formed by AM techniques and methods for forming metal nitrides capable of being used in AM processes.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a ceramic powder, which includes forming a slurry by mixing of first ceramic particles, binder and water, spraying and drying the slurry to form a first ceramic core portion, and thermally treating and shaping the first ceramic core portion. The first ceramic core portion has a first flexural strength and a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The method further includes forming another slurry to form a second ceramic shell portion formed by second ceramic particles and covering the first ceramic core portion. The second ceramic shell portion has a second flexural strength and a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The ceramic powder is formed by thermally treating and shaping the first ceramic core portion and the second ceramic shell portion.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.

A process for producing an interior trim part (1) with a decorative layer situated on a first side (S1) thereof and forming a decorative pattern (M) for the interior of a motor vehicle, the process comprising the following steps: (a) formation of at least one cutout configuration (R), defined by a predetermined decorative pattern (M), in a protective layer (120) situated on a first side (S1), which is situated on a first surface (110a) of the shell-shaped base body (110) made of a metallic material, (b) deposition of sinterable decorative material on the first side (S1) in such a way that the decorative material, as an intermediate layer (150), covers at least the area in which the cutout configuration (R) defined by the decorative pattern (M) is formed in the protective layer (120), (c) laser-sintering of the intermediate layer (150) inside the at least one cutout configuration defined by the decorative pattern (M), (d) removal of the sinterable decorative material that is situated outside the at least one cutout configuration defined by the decorative pattern (M),
as well as an interior trim part (1).

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a sintered body by sintering with laser irradiation, the method for manufacturing a sintered body, including: a raw material providing step of providing a raw material containing a ceramic powder and a laser absorbing oxide having an absorption rate at a laser wavelength higher by 5% or more than that of the ceramic powder; an article forming step of forming an article formed from the raw material, an article partially including a region consisting of only the raw material, or an article formed from the raw material and formed on a base material; and a sintering step of irradiating the article with a laser to form a sintered portion.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multicapillary packing for an exchange of material including the formation, by a 3D printing method, of a monolith having a porous mass through which a plurality of parallel channels passes, opening on an inlet face and an outlet face of the packing, the 3D printing method being chosen among: selective laser sintering, molten wire deposition, stereolithography, binder spraying and spraying of material, the porous mass being suitable for allowing the diffusion of material to be exchanged between the channels.

Compositions and methods directed to the synthesis and use of silicon carbide with, biomedical applications is provided. The method of synthesis includes providing a polydimethysiloxane (PDM'S) substrate, and irradiating at least a portion of the substrate with a laser under conditions sufficient to produce silicon carbide comprising 3C silicon carbide (3C-SiE). The composition can be used to modulate biological activity through electrical, chemical and heat stimuli.