Carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material, its composite with lithium metal, and their preparation methods and use A carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material, its composite with lithium metal, and their preparation methods and use. In the carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material, the porous skeleton is a carbon-based porous microsphere material with a diameter of 1 to 100 μm or a porous metal material having internal pores with a micrometer-scale pore size distribution, and the carbon nanoparticles are distributed in pores and on the surface of the carbon-based porous microsphere material or the porous metal material. The carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material is mixed with a molten lithium metal to form a lithium-carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material. The carbon nanoparticles present in the material can better conduct lithium ions during the battery cycle, thereby inhibiting the formation of lithium dendrites, and improving the safety and cycle stability of the battery.

A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The article is then treated to enhance the characteristics of at least the machined surface to be comparable to the original surface. In the disclosed application the machining does not extend to an inner layer of the article in which the article consists purely of a metal.

The disclosed invention includes articles having advantageous ceramic layers with a ceramic/metal intermediate layer that diminishes towards a pure metal core. Such articles have substantial use in unconventional, harsh environments.

A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The article is then treated to enhance the characteristics of at least the machined surface to be comparable to the original surface. The present invention features postformation of ceramic on the portions machined, while the ceramic portions of original surfaces retain their preformation attributes.

A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The intermediate layer of the article includes a gradient of a metal and metal-ceramic that diminishes toward a metal core.

A composite tooth is described for working the ground or rocks. The tooth includes a ferrous alloy having a portion reinforced at least partially by an insert. The portion reinforced by the insert is configured to allow, after in-situ reaction, the obtention of an alternating macro-microstructure of millimetric areas concentrated with micrometric globular particles of titanium carbides separated by millimetric areas substantially free of micrometric globular particles of titanium carbides. The millimetric areas concentrated with micrometric globular particles of titanium carbides form a microstructure in which the micrometric interstices between the globular particles are also filled by the ferrous alloy. The macro-microstructure generated by the insert is at least 2 mm, preferably at least 3 mm from a distal surface of the tooth.

A refractory composition for forming a working lining in a metallurgical vessel contains a coarse-grain refractory particle fraction and a fine-grain refractory particle fraction, or at least 0.25% additive calcium oxide, or at least 0.25% titanium dioxide. The coarse-grain refractory particles can include alumina particles, magnesia particles, magnesium aluminate spinel particles, zirconia particles, or doloma particles, or a combination of any of these particles. The fine-grain refractory particles can be comprised of any low-magnesia refractory oxide. The refractory composition can be applied to a metallurgical vessel by spraying, gunning, shotcreting, vibrating, casting, troweling, or positioning preformed refractory shapes, or a combination of any of these techniques. When contacted by molten metal, the molten metal penetrates into the refractory material, wetting the coarse-grain refractory particles, and forming a refractory-metal composite barrier layer that decreases or blocks oxygen transport through the refractory lining.

In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.

A cathode sputtering target is formed, on the one hand, from an oxide of at least one element chosen from the group of titanium, silicon and zirconium and, on the other hand, of particles of a metal included in the group formed by silver, gold, platinum, copper and nickel or particles of an alloy formed from at least two of these metals, the atomic ratio M/Me in the target being less than 1.5, M representing all of the atoms of the elements of the group of titanium, silicon and zirconium present in the layer and Me representing all of the atoms of the metals of the group formed by silver, gold, platinum, copper and nickel present in the layer.

Disclosed is a carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material, its composite with lithium metal, and their preparation methods and use. In the carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material, the porous skeleton is a carbon-based porous microsphere material with a diameter of 1 to 100 m or a porous metal material having internal pores with a micrometer-scale pore size distribution, and the carbon nanoparticles are distributed in the pores and on the surface of the carbon-based porous microsphere material or the porous metal material. The carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material is mixed with a molten lithium metal to form a lithium-carbon nanoparticle-porous skeleton composite material. The carbon nanoparticles present in the material can better conduct lithium ions during the battery cycle, thereby inhibiting the formation of lithium dendrites, and improving the safety and cycle stability of the battery.