Provided is a method for forming a ceramic article, including disposing a slurry in a mold, wherein the slurry includes a ceramic powder and a photoctivable pre-polymer; and forming a green ceramic article wherein forming includes exposing the slurry to radiant energy, such as ultraviolet radiation, wherein the radiant energy catalyzes polymerization of the prepolymer. In another aspect, provided is method for forming an article, including disposing a slurry in a mold, wherein the slurry includes a photoactivable pre-polymer and a powder and the powder includes a ceramic powder, a metal powder, or both; and exposing the slurry to ultraviolet radiation wherein the ultraviolet radiation catalyzes polymerization of the pre-polymer.

Described herein are cold-sintered ceramic polymer composites and processes for making them from inorganic compound starting materials and polymers. The cold sintering process and wide variety of polymers permit the incorporation of diverse polymeric materials into the ceramic.

A method of making a fiber preform for ceramic matrix composite (CMC) fabrication comprises laminating an arrangement of fibers between polymer sheets comprising an organic polymer, which may function as a fugitive binder during fabrication, to form a flexible prepreg sheet. A plurality of the flexible prepreg sheets are laid up in a predetermined geometry to form a stack, and the stack is heated to soften the organic polymer and bond together the flexible prepreg sheets into a bonded prepreg structure. Upon cooling of the bonded prepreg structure, a rigid preform is formed. The rigid preform is heated at a sufficient temperature to pyrolyze the organic polymer. Thus, a porous preform that may undergo further processing into a CMC is formed.

A method is disclosed for forming extrudate filament, which consist essentially of fiber, organic binder, and metal and/or ceramic. The extrudate filament can be spooled, or used to form preforms, and/or assemblages of preforms. In further methods, the extrudate filament and/or preforms can be used to fabricate fiber-reinforced metal-matrix or ceramic-matrix or metal and ceramic matrix composite parts, which consist essentially of fiber in a matrix of metal, or ceramic, or metal and ceramic, respectively.

A method for manufacturing a powder injection molding feedstock includes providing a plurality of powder particles and a secondary binder and applying primary kneading in an internal mixer. The primary mixture is cooled and crushed. A main binder is provided and put into the internal mixer to mix with the mixture that being crushed for secondary kneading to obtain the powder injection molding feedstock. Glass-transition temperature of the secondary binder is greater than glass-transition temperature of the main binder. The secondary binder coats the powder particles. The main binder coats the secondary binder and the powder particles.

Particles each having a sinterable core and a polymeric coating on at least a part of the core, wherein the polymeric coating includes a polymer that can be removed via decomposition by heat, catalytically or by solvent treatment, and wherein the polymeric coating is present in an amount of 0.10 to 3.00% by weight, relative to the total weight of the particles, as well as the use of these particles in an additive manufacturing process such as a powder bed and inkjet head 3D printing process. The particles and the process are able to provide a green part having improved strength and are thus suitable for the production of delicate structures which require a high green strength in order to minimize the risk of structural damage during green part handling.

Provided are a nanofiber-nanowire composite and a method for producing the same. The method includes preparing a nanoparticle using a dipolar solvent, producing a nanofiber-nanoparticle composite in an electrospinning synthesis solution including the nanoparticle through electrospinning, and growing a nanowire from the nanoparticle by hydrothermally synthesizing a dried nanofiber-nanoparticle composite.

A binder resin composition comprising an aliphatic polycarbonate resin represented by the formula (1):

##STR00001##

and an end-capped aliphatic polycarbonate resin represented by the formula (2):

##STR00002##

wherein each of X and Y, which may be identical or different, is a group having at least one functional group selected from a carboxy group, an ester group, a carbamate group, a silicate group, an isocyanate group, an ether group, an acetal group, and a halogen atom at its end; and an inorganic particle-dispersed paste composition containing the resin composition. The binder resin composition of the present invention can be used in general molded articles, optical materials such as films, fibers, optical fibers, and optical disks, thermally decomposable materials such as ceramic binders, and lost foam casting, medicinal materials such as drug capsules, additives for biodegradable resins, main components for biodegradable resins, and the like.

An extrusion method and apparatus are described for producing ceramics, glass, glass-ceramics, or composites suitable for use as proppants. The method includes forming one or more green body materials, extruding the green body materials to form a green body extrudate, separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and sintering the green bodies to form proppants. The apparatus includes a means for forming an intimate mixture of green body materials, means to produce a green body extrudate, means for separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and means to sinter the green green bodies to form proppants.

A method of manufacturing a target structure is provided. The method includes: obtaining a model structure of an initial material composition having a predetermined geometry and dimensions; applying a slurry mixture into the model structure; and processing the model structure with the slurry mixture inside the model structure to convert the initial material composition of the model structure into a final material composition to obtain the target structure with the final material composition and having a geometry and dimensions that are substantially similar to the predetermined geometry and dimensions of the model structure.