One aspect relates to a process for producing a sintered workpiece, which includes sintering of a ceramic material at a temperature of at least 1000 C. and in an atmosphere, in the case of which the partial pressure of atmospheric air is reduced to less than 10.sup.6-times, based on the ambient air at the same temperature under equilibrium conditions.

The disclosure herein relates to a method for preparing ceramic grains comprising: making a slurry comprising inorganic particles and a gelling agent; making droplets of the slurry; introducing the droplets in a liquid gelling-reaction medium wherein the droplets are gellified; deforming the droplets before, during or after gellification; drying the gellified deformed droplets, thereby obtaining dried grains and sintering the dried grains, thereby obtaining the ceramic grains.

The disclosure herein further relates to ceramic grains obtainable by a disclosed method.

A skeletal composite material includes an internal skeleton structure surrounded by a matrix material. The skeleton structure and the matrix are made of different materials having different properties. It should be appreciated that the skeleton structure and the matrix can be made of any suitable material including metal, ceramic, carbon, polymers, or combinations of these materials. Preferably, the skeleton structure and/or the matrix are made primarily of metal or ceramic. The skeletal composite material can be made by filling a skeleton structure with powder, compacting the skeleton structure and powder to form a preform, and consolidating the preform to form the skeletal composite material.

A skeletal composite material includes an internal skeleton structure surrounded by a matrix material. The skeleton structure and the matrix are made of different materials having different properties. It should be appreciated that the skeleton structure and the matrix can be made of any suitable material including metal, ceramic, carbon, polymers, or combinations of these materials. Preferably, the skeleton structure and/or the matrix are made primarily of metal or ceramic. The skeletal composite material can be made by filling a skeleton structure with powder, compacting the skeleton structure and powder to form a preform, and consolidating the preform to form the skeletal composite material.

The disclosure relates to sintered ceramic grains comprising 3-55 wt. % alumina, 40-95 wt. % zirconia and 1-30 wt. % of one or more other inorganic components.

The invention further relates to a method for preparing ceramic grains according to the invention, comprising: making a slurry comprising alumina, zirconia; making droplets of the slurry; introducing the droplets in a liquid gelling-reaction medium wherein the droplets are gellified; drying the gellified deformed droplets.

The present disclosure is related to methods of manufacturing a hierarchical composite wear component comprising a reinforced part, said reinforced part comprising a reinforcement of a triply periodic minimal surface ceramic lattice structure, said structure comprising multiple cell units, said cell units comprising voids and micro-porous ceramic cell walls, the micro-pores of the cell walls comprising a sinter metal or a cast metal, the ceramic lattice structure being embedded in a bi-continuous structure with a cast metal matrix.

The present disclosure is related to methods of manufacturing a hierarchical composite wear component comprising a reinforced part, said reinforced part comprising a reinforcement of a triply periodic minimal surface ceramic lattice structure, said structure comprising multiple cell units, said cell units comprising voids and micro-porous ceramic cell walls, the micro-pores of the cell walls comprising a sinter metal or a cast metal, the ceramic lattice structure being embedded in a bi-continuous structure with a cast metal matrix.

A method is presented for producing hollow microspheres of metal oxides (HMOMS) and/or hollow metal silicates microspheres (HMSMS) in a transforming solution. The transforming solution contains an atom M, or an M-ion, or a radical containing M. M in the transforming solution has the thermodynamic ability to replace silicon atoms in hollow silica microspheres (HSMS) and/or hollow glass microspheres (HGMS). The maximum temperature for transformation is set by the chemical physical properties of the transforming solution, and the viscosity of the silica in the walls of the HSMS and/or the glass in the walls of the HGMS. Viscosity, of enough magnitude, helps retain the desired shape of the hollow sphere as it is transformed to HMOMS and/or HMSMS. Non-spherical shapes can be produced by increasing the transformation temperature whereby the viscosity of the walls of the HSMS and/or the HGMS is reduced. Transformation can take place at a single temperature or at several temperatures, each temperature for a separate hold time.

Methods are presented for: 1. production of micro composite castings and continuous production of sheets of micro composites, both consisting of hollow spheres in a matrix, 2. harvesting of HMOMS and HMSMS, and 3. specialty castings for anisotropic properties using 3-dimensional printing

A method including: submerging a ceramic preform (10) in a layer (12) of powdered superalloy material (14), wherein the preform defines a desired shape of a channel (60, 62, 64, 78) to be formed in a layer (42) of superalloy material; melting the powdered superalloy material around the preform without melting the preform; and cooling and re-solidifying the superalloy material around the preform to form the layer of superalloy material with the preform defining the shape of the channel therein.

A method including: submerging a ceramic preform (10) in a layer (12) of powdered superalloy material (14), wherein the preform defines a desired shape of a channel (60, 62, 64, 78) to be formed in a layer (42) of superalloy material; melting the powdered superalloy material around the preform without melting the preform; and cooling and re-solidifying the superalloy material around the preform to form the layer of superalloy material with the preform defining the shape of the channel therein.