A method of pressure forming a brown part from metal and/or ceramic particle feedstocks includes: introducing into a mold cavity or extruder a first feedstock and one or more additional feedstocks or a green or brown state insert made from a feedstock, wherein the different feedstocks correspond to the different portions of the part; pressurizing the mold cavity or extruder to produce a preform having a plurality of portions corresponding to the first and one or more additional feedstocks, and debinding the preform. Micro voids and interstitial paths from the interior of the preform part to the exterior allow the escape of decomposing or subliming backbone component substantially without creating macro voids due to internal pressure. The large brown preform may then be sintered and subsequently thermomechanically processed to produce a net wrought microstructure and properties that are substantially free the interstitial spaces.

Examples for refining the microstructure of metallic materials used for additive manufacturing are described herein. An example can involve generating a first layer of an integral object by heating a metallic material to a molten state such that the metallic material includes a solid-liquid interface. The example can further involve applying an electromagnetic field or vibrations to the metallic material of the first layer. In some instances, the electromagnetic fields or vibrations perturb the first layer of metallic material causing nucleation sites to form at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. The example also includes generating a second layer coupled to the first layer of the integral object. Generating the second layer increases a number of nucleation sites at the solid-liquid interface of the metallic material in the molten state. Each nucleation site can grows a crystal at a spatially-random orientation.

A method of making a light weight housing for an internal component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a first metallic foam core into a desired configuration; forming a second metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting an internal component into the first metallic foam core; placing the second metallic foam core adjacent to the first metallic core in order to secure the internal component between the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; and securing an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting to the housing, wherein a thermal management fluid path for the internal component into and out of the housing is provided by the inlet fitting and the outlet fitting.

A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; and applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration.

A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting a pre-machined component into an opening in the metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration and after the pre-machined component has been inserted into the metallic foam core; introducing an acid into an internal cavity defined by the external metallic shell; dissolving the metallic foam core; and removing the dissolved metallic foam core from the internal cavity, wherein the component and the external metallic shell are resistant to the acid.

A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting a pre-machined component into an opening in the metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration and after the pre-machined component has been inserted into the metallic foam core; introducing an acid into an internal cavity defined by the external metallic shell; dissolving the metallic foam core; and removing the dissolved metallic foam core from the internal cavity, wherein the component and the external metallic shell are resistant to the acid.

A method of preparing a substrate having a wetting surface, including confirming the presence of an open, interconnected pore network in a ceramic substrate to be wetted with a first metal, filling the open, interconnected pore network with a second metal,

exuding the second metal to coat the surface of the substrate, and wetting the substrate with the first metal. The ceramic substrate is not decomposed by the first metal and the ceramic substrate is not decomposed by the second metal.

A method of preparing a substrate having a wetting surface, including confirming the presence of an open, interconnected pore network in a ceramic substrate to be wetted with a first metal, filling the open, interconnected pore network with a second metal,

exuding the second metal to coat the surface of the substrate, and wetting the substrate with the first metal. The ceramic substrate is not decomposed by the first metal and the ceramic substrate is not decomposed by the second metal.

A porous copper sintered material (10) includes: a plurality of copper fibers (11) sintered each other, wherein the copper fibers (11) are made of copper or copper alloy, a diameter R of the copper fibers (11) is in a range of 0.02 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less, and a ratio L/R of a length L of the copper fibers to the diameter R is in a range of 4 or more and 2500 or less (11), redox layers (12) formed by redox treatment are provided on surfaces of copper fibers (11, 11), and concavities and convexities are formed by the redox layer (12), and each of redox layers (12, 12) formed on each of the copper fibers (11) is integrally bonded in a junction of the copper fibers (11).

According to the present invention, there are provided processes for preparing a porous composite material comprising a metal and a two-dimensional nanomaterial. In one aspect, the processes comprise the steps of: providing a powder comprising metal particles; heating the powder such that the metal particles fuse to form a porous scaffold; and forming a two-dimensional nanomaterial on a surface of the porous scaffold by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Also provided are materials obtainable by the present processes, and products comprising said materials.