A powder for additive manufacturing, which is a powder to be used in a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method, including a plurality of coated particles containing metal particles, and resin coating films that cover the metal particles and contain a caking additive, wherein 0.0001≤t/D50≤0.0010 in which t is an average thickness of the resin coating films and D50 is an average particle diameter of the metal particles.

A powder material includes metal particles including an iron alloy and having an average particle diameter of 10 μm or larger and 500 μm or smaller, and nanoparticles including a metal or a metal compound and having undergone no surface treatment with an organic substance.

A silicon oxide-coated soft magnetic powder, in which the ratio of a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter D50 (HE) according to a dry laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis to the same particle diameter D50 (MT) according to a wet laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis is 0.7 or more, and a coverage ratio R defined by R=Si×100/(Si+M) (Si and M are molar fractions of Si and elements constituting the soft magnetic powder) is 70% or more is obtained by subjecting a slurry containing a soft magnetic powder containing 20 mass % or more of iron and a hydrolysate of a silicon alkoxide to a dispersion treatment when the surface of the soft magnetic powder is coated with the hydrolysate in a mixed solvent of water and an organic substance. The powder has good insulation/dispersibility properties and a high filling factor during molding.

A silicon oxide-coated soft magnetic powder, in which the ratio of a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter D50 (HE) according to a dry laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis to the same particle diameter D50 (MT) according to a wet laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis is 0.7 or more, and a coverage ratio R defined by R=Si×100/(Si+M) (Si and M are molar fractions of Si and elements constituting the soft magnetic powder) is 70% or more is obtained by subjecting a slurry containing a soft magnetic powder containing 20 mass % or more of iron and a hydrolysate of a silicon alkoxide to a dispersion treatment when the surface of the soft magnetic powder is coated with the hydrolysate in a mixed solvent of water and an organic substance. The powder has good insulation/dispersibility properties and a high filling factor during molding.

Methods of fabricating objects using additive manufacturing are provided. The methods create in situ dispersoids within the object. The methods are used with refractory alloy powders which are pretreated to increase the oxygen content to between 500 ppm and 3000 ppm or to increase the nitrogen content to between 250 ppm and 1500 ppm. The pretreated powders are then formed into layers in an environmentally controlled chamber of an additive manufacturing machine. The environmentally controlled chamber is adjusted to have between 500 ppm and 200 ppm oxygen. The layer of pretreated powder is then exposed to a transient moving energy source for melting and solidifying the layer; and creating in situ dispersoids in the layer.

Methods of fabricating objects using additive manufacturing are provided. The methods create in situ dispersoids within the object. The methods are used with refractory alloy powders which are pretreated to increase the oxygen content to between 500 ppm and 3000 ppm or to increase the nitrogen content to between 250 ppm and 1500 ppm. The pretreated powders are then formed into layers in an environmentally controlled chamber of an additive manufacturing machine. The environmentally controlled chamber is adjusted to have between 500 ppm and 200 ppm oxygen. The layer of pretreated powder is then exposed to a transient moving energy source for melting and solidifying the layer; and creating in situ dispersoids in the layer.

In a method for producing nanoparticles of copper selenide, a flowable copper precursor is formed by combining a copper starting material and a ligand, and a flowable selenium precursor is formed by suspending a selenium starting material in a liquid. Then a flowable copper-selenium mixture including a lower-polarity solvent is formed by combining the flowable copper precursor and the flowable selenium precursor. The flowable copper-selenium mixture is conducted through at least one heating unit, and the nanoparticles of copper selenide are isolated in an oxygen-depleted environment. The isolation includes combining a solution containing the nanoparticles of copper selenide and a deoxygenated, higher-polarity solvent to precipitate the nanoparticles.

In a method for producing nanoparticles of copper selenide, a flowable copper precursor is formed by combining a copper starting material and a ligand, and a flowable selenium precursor is formed by suspending a selenium starting material in a liquid. Then a flowable copper-selenium mixture including a lower-polarity solvent is formed by combining the flowable copper precursor and the flowable selenium precursor. The flowable copper-selenium mixture is conducted through at least one heating unit, and the nanoparticles of copper selenide are isolated in an oxygen-depleted environment. The isolation includes combining a solution containing the nanoparticles of copper selenide and a deoxygenated, higher-polarity solvent to precipitate the nanoparticles.

The invention is related to a soft-magnetic powder comprising coated particles, the coated particles comprising a core and a shell, the core having an average particle size D.sub.50 in a range from 0.1 μm to 100 μm and comprising iron, wherein the shell has a thickness of not more than 20 nm and comprises at least two solid oxides and wherein the shell comprises at least three layers and the shell comprises more than one layers of a first solid oxide and at least one layer of a second solid oxide, wherein the more than one layers of the first solid oxide and the at least one layer of the second solid oxide are arranged in an alternating manner. The invention is further related to a process for the production of the soft-magnetic powder, a use of the soft-magnetic powder and an electronic component comprising the soft-magnetic powder.

The invention is related to a soft-magnetic powder comprising coated particles, the coated particles comprising a core and a shell, the core having an average particle size D.sub.50 in a range from 0.1 μm to 100 μm and comprising iron, wherein the shell has a thickness of not more than 20 nm and comprises at least two solid oxides and wherein the shell comprises at least three layers and the shell comprises more than one layers of a first solid oxide and at least one layer of a second solid oxide, wherein the more than one layers of the first solid oxide and the at least one layer of the second solid oxide are arranged in an alternating manner. The invention is further related to a process for the production of the soft-magnetic powder, a use of the soft-magnetic powder and an electronic component comprising the soft-magnetic powder.