Ultra-high temperature carbide (UHTC) foams and methods of fabricating and using the same are provided. The UHTC foams are produced in a three-step process, including UHTC slurry preparation, freeze-drying, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The fabrication methods allow for the production of any kind of single- or multi-component UHTC foam, while also providing flexibility in the shape and size of the UHTC foams to produce near-net-shape components.

A manufacturing method of a sintered body is a manufacturing method of the sintered body which increases a temperature while applying an electric field to a ceramic compact. This method controls a current which flows to the ceramic compact so that a sintering rate becomes constant.

Disclosed are composite materials comprising a porous, carbonated, calcium silicate ceramic having a microstructure comprising interconnected open pores; where the calcium silicate surface defining the pores is partially or completely coated with an amorphous silica layer, and the silica coating comprises an overlayer of calcium carbonate crystals; where the silica coating and calcium carbonate overlayer form a network that interconnects throughout the ceramic microstructure, but do not completely occlude the pores. Also disclosed are methods of forming such composite materials.

A system for forming a product with different size particles is disclosed. The system comprises at least one print head region configured to retain a first group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a first portion of the product with a first material and a second group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a second portion of the product with a second material. The described system may also comprise a processor configured to regulate the first group of print heads and the second group of print heads to distribute the first material and the second material. A method of making an object by ink jet printing using the disclosed system is also disclosed.

The present application discloses a conductive high-strength diamond/amorphous carbon composite material and a preparation process thereof. The diamond/amorphous carbon composite material is composed of an amorphous carbon continuous phase and multiple separate diamond phases embedded in the amorphous carbon continuous phase, wherein the diamond phases exhibit an ordered sp3 hybrid state, and the amorphous carbon continuous phase exhibits a disordered sp2 hybrid state. The present application further discloses a process for preparing the above diamond/amorphous carbon composite material. The process comprises using sp3 carbon powder or glassy carbon as a raw material to obtain the above-mentioned material by sintering. The diamond/amorphous carbon composite material shows good electrical conductivity, good electrical discharge machining ability, good chemical stability and light weight, and has broad application prospects in aerospace, automobile industry and biomedical equipment.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing process for a watch component (50) in composite material with a ceramic matrix comprising the following steps: depositing in a mould a succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40) each comprising a ceramic powder (12), at least one layer (10; 10, 30; 10, 20, 30, 40) further including fibres (14) mixed with the ceramic powder (12), the fibres (14) being arranged randomly; performing a FAST/SPS sintering operation; demoulding the sintered watch component comprising the succession of layers (10, 20, 30, 40), and optionally machining the sintered component to the final dimensions of the watch component (50). The fibres (14) are visible on the surface of the watch component (50).

A method of fabricating a brake component made from a ceramic matrix composite is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes infiltrating a carbon fabric with a slurry containing a ceramic powder and a sintering aid; laying up the carbon fabric in a desired geometry to form a raw component; warm pressing the raw component to form a green component; and sintering the green component via a spark plasma sintering process to form a sintered component.

The present invention relates to parts of transparent corundum ceramics and the production and use of said parts.

A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.