Methods of manufacturing metal, metal-matrix, metal-metal-matrix composite weapon barrels offer barrels with improved thermal performance and rigidity with no, minimal or negative weight increase. A barrel may include a barrel core surrounded by a lightweight, thermally conductive sleeve made from metal, metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials, also referred to as metal-matrix material. The barrel core and barrel sleeve may include aligning features to prevent separation and movement of the sleeve along the core. The disclosed methods provide for material combinations and part designs that prevent separation of their parts over the life of the weapon barrel and allow the barrel to perform at high cadence over the whole temperature range the barrel is used.

A hard composite composition may comprise a binder and a polymodal blend of matrix powder. The polymodal blend of matrix powder may have at least one first local maxima at a particle size of about 0.5 nm to about 30 m, at least one second local maxima at a particle size of about 200 m to about 10 mm, and at least one local minima between a particle size of about 30 m to about 200 m that has a value that is less than the first local maxima.

A method of fabricating and apparatus for additive manufacturing including an environmental chamber defining an interior, a platform on which the object is built in a powder bed within the interior of the environmental chamber, a supply of nitrogen coupled to the interior of the environmental chamber, a laser creating an ion channel extending to the powder, and a power source applying electrical energy to the ion channel, the electrical energy being transmitted through the ion channel to the powder in the powder bed.

A silicon carbide composite that is lightweight and has high thermal conductivity as well as a low thermal expansion coefficient close to that of a ceramic substrate, particularly a silicon carbide composite material suitable for heat dissipating components that are required to be particularly free of warping, such as heat sinks. A method for manufacturing a silicon carbide composite obtained by impregnating a porous silicon carbide molded body with a metal having aluminum as a main component, wherein the method for manufacturing a silicon carbide composite material is characterized in that the porous silicon carbide molded article is formed by a wet molding method, and preferably the wet molding method is a wet press method or is a wet casting method.

Various embodiments include a heat sink comprising: a base plate with an assembly surface for an electronic component; and a cooling structure bonded to the base plate increasing a surface area of the heat sink. The base plate comprises a metal-ceramic composite with a ceramic phase and a metallic phase. The cooling structure comprises a metal. A bond between the cooling structure and the base plate consists of a purely metallic bond between the cooling structure and the metallic phase of the base plate.

A composite member excellent in corrosion resistance of a substrate and excellent in heat radiation property is provided. A composite member includes a substrate composed of a composite material containing magnesium or a magnesium alloy and SiC and a coating layer provided on a surface of the substrate. The coating layer includes an outermost layer provided as an outermost surface and an intermediate layer provided directly under the outermost layer. The outermost layer contains nickel and phosphorus. The intermediate layer is mainly composed of copper. The intermediate layer has a thickness not smaller than 30 m.

A method for making a braking band (2) for a brake disc (1) for a disc brake, comprising the following steps: a) preparing a mold (10) having an inner cavity (11), which comprises a first portion (11a) of a shape corresponding to the braking band (2) to be made; b) preparing a band preform (20) comprising a central preform (200), an upper outer preform (201) and a lower outer preform (202), said central preform (200) being made of porous ceramic material comprising silicon carbide (SiC), said upper outer preform (201) and lower outer preform (202) being made of porous ceramic material comprising silicon carbide (SiC) and infiltrated with silicon (SiC+Si), wherein a carbon barrier layer (201a, 200a, 200b, 202a) made of carbon is interposed between the upper outer preform (201) and the central preform (200) and between the lower outer preform (202) and the central preform (200), said preforms (200, 201, 202) having the shape of the braking band (2) to be made; c) placing said band preform (20) inside the mold at the first portion (11a) of said inner cavity (11); and d) injecting a liquid or semi-solid aluminum alloy inside the entire inner cavity (11) of the mold (11) to infiltrate the central preform (200) of said band preform (20) made of porous ceramic material with said aluminum alloy, obtaining at the first portion (11a) an aluminum metal matrix composite reinforced by said central preform (200) which defines the braking band (2) to be made. A braking band and a brake disc are made with at least the aforesaid method.

A method for making a braking band (2) for a brake disc (1) for a disc brake, comprising the following steps: a) preparing a mold (10) having an inner cavity (11), which comprises a first portion (11a) of a shape corresponding to the braking band (2) to be made; b) preparing a band preform (20) comprising a central layer (200) made of porous ceramic material comprising silicon carbide (SiC), an upper outer layer (201) and a lower outer layer (202), said upper outer layer (201) and said lower outer layer (202) being made of porous ceramic material comprising silicon carbide (SiC) and infiltrated with silicon (SiC+Si), said upper outer layer (201) and said bottom outer layer (202) being arranged in an opposing way and on opposite sides of the central layer (200); c) placing said band preform (20) inside the mold at the first portion (11a) of said inner cavity (11); and d) injecting a liquid or semi-solid aluminum alloy inside the entire inner cavity (11) of the mold (11) so as to infiltrate only the central layer (200) of said band preform (20) made of porous ceramic material with said aluminum alloy, obtaining at the first portion (11a) an aluminum metal matrix composite reinforced by said central preform (200) which defines the braking band (2) to be made. A braking band and a brake disc are made at least with the aforesaid method.

A composite member includes a substrate composed of a composite material containing a metal and a non-metal. One surface of the substrate has spherical warpage of which radius of curvature R is not smaller than 5000 mm and not greater than 35000 mm. A sphericity error is not greater than 10.0 ?m, the sphericity error being defined as an average distance between a plurality of measurement points on a contour of a warped portion of the substrate and approximate arcs defined by the plurality of measurement points. The substrate has a thermal conductivity not lower than 150 W/m.Math.K and a coefficient of linear expansion not greater than 10 ppm/K.

A method for fabricating a ceramic material includes impregnating a porous structure with a mixture that includes a preceramic polymer and a filler. The filler includes at least one free metal. The preceramic polymer material is then rigidized to form a green body. The green body is then thermally treated to convert the rigidized preceramic polymer material into a ceramic matrix located within pores of the porous structure. The same thermal treatment or a second, further thermal treatment is used to cause the at least one free metal to move to internal porosity defined by the ceramic matrix or pores of the porous structure.