This application relates to a method of preparing a composite material for a semiconductor test socket, and a composite material prepared through the method. In one embodiment, the method includes preparing a powder mixture including (i) a metal powder comprising aluminum or aluminum alloy particles and magnesium particles and (ii) a polymer powder. The method may also include sintering the powder mixture to produce the composite material using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. This application also relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor test socket, the method including forming an insulating portion of the semiconductor test socket with the composite material. This application further relates to a semiconductor test socket produced through the method.

A method and apparatus particularly for additively manufacturing materials that are susceptible to hot cracking. The additive manufacturing process may include a leading energy beam (16) for liquefying a raw material to form a melt pool (20), and a trailing energy beam (17) directed toward a trailing region of the melt pool. The trailing energy beam may be configured to enhance agitation and/or redistribution of liquid in the melt pool to prevent hot cracking, reduce porosity, or improve other characteristics of the solidified part. The method and apparatus also may improve processing parameters, such as adjusting vacuum level to prevent volatilization of alloying agents, or providing a chill plate to control interpass temperature. The process may be used to form new articles, and also may be used to enhance tailorability and flexibility in design or repair of pre-existing articles, among other considerations.

The present invention relates to the use of a metal powder for additively manufacturing a shaped metal body by means of laser beam melting, wherein the metal is a metal of Group 11 of the periodic table of the elements or aluminium or an alloy or intermetallic phase of one of these metals and has an oxygen content of at least 2500 ppm by weight.

A powder metal compact is disclosed. The powder metal compact includes a cellular nanomatrix comprising a nanomatrix material. The powder metal compact also includes a plurality of dispersed particles comprising a particle core material that comprises an Al—Cu—Mg, Al—Mn, Al—Si, Al—Mg, Al—Mg—Si, Al—Zn, Al—Zn—Cu, Al—Zn—Mg, Al—Zn—Cr, Al—Zn—Zr, or Al—Sn—Li alloy, or a combination thereof, dispersed in the cellular nanomatrix.

A method for producing a powder of a reinforced alloy (ODS alloy) in which the grains forming the particles of the powder comprise a metal matrix, in the volume of which crystalline oxide particles are dispersed, said method comprising the following successive steps: i) providing a powder mixture to be milled comprising a master alloy intended to form the metal matrix and an additional powder comprising at least one intermediate intended to incorporate atoms intended to form the dispersed oxide particles; ii) milling the powder mixture according to a mechanical synthesis process for making a precursor powder; iii) subjecting the precursor powder to a thermal plasma generated by a plasma torch comprising a plasma gas, in order to obtain the reinforced alloy powder.

The method of the invention is particularly suitable for producing an ODS alloy that has optimized characteristics of composition and/or microstructure.

The invention also relates to the ODS alloy powder obtained by the method of production, and the use thereof.

The invention relates to a preparation method for a magnesium matrix composite. The preparation method comprises the following steps: (1) preparing magnesium ingots as raw materials and salt flux and reinforcements; (2) placing the salt flux in a crucible, performing heating to prepare salt flux melts, adding the reinforcements; (3) performing pouring into a normal-temperature crucible, and performing cooling to obtain precursors; (4) adding the raw materials in an iron crucible, and performing melting at 953K-1043K; (5) placing the precursors in raw material melt, after stirring, under a condition of 953K-993K, performing standing so that scum and melt are obtained; and (6) removing the scum, lowering temperature to 973K-982K, and performing casting. The method provided by the present invention is simple in process and low in cost. The method can be used for preparing bulk structural members of the magnesium matrix composite, and can be used for automatic production.

A metal matrix nanocomposite includes: 1) a matrix including one or more metals; and 2) nanostructures uniformly dispersed and stabilized in the matrix at a volume fraction, including those greater than about 3% of the nanocomposite.

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.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for producing an oxide-dispersed strengthened alloy using organic-inorganic kneaded composition is provided. The method, comprises: a feedstock preparing step of preparing the organic-inorganic kneaded composition prepared by kneading, pulverizing and granulating ODS mixed powders and a polymer binder; a molding step of forming a semi-finished product having a predetermined shape using the organic-inorganic kneaded composition; a debinding step of removing the polymeric binder from the semi-finished product molded in the molding step; and a sintering step of extracting a final product having a predetermined shape by sintering and cooling the semi-finished product in which the polymeric binder has been removed in the debinding step.

Ceramic-metallic composites are disclosed along with the equipment and processes for their manufacture. The present invention improves the densities of these composites by eliminating porosity through the use of a unique furnace system that applies vacuum and positive gas pressure during specific stages of processing. In the fabrication of Al.sub.2O.sub.3—Al composites, each process commences with a preform initially composed of at least 5% by weight silicon dioxide, and the finished product includes aluminum oxide and aluminum, and possibly other substances.