A powder is supplied to a shaping chamber without interrupting processing of shaping a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, a powder storage that stores a powder conveyed to the shaping chamber, an intermediate powder storage that is provided between the shaping chamber and the powder storage, is connected to the shaping chamber via a first valve, is connected to the powder storage via a second valve, and temporarily stores the powder, a valve controller that controls opening/closing of each of the first valve and the second valve, and an atmosphere controller that controls an atmosphere in the intermediate powder storage and an atmosphere in the shaping chamber.

A powder is supplied to a shaping chamber without interrupting processing of shaping a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, a powder storage that stores a powder conveyed to the shaping chamber, an intermediate powder storage that is provided between the shaping chamber and the powder storage, is connected to the shaping chamber via a first valve, is connected to the powder storage via a second valve, and temporarily stores the powder, a valve controller that controls opening/closing of each of the first valve and the second valve, and an atmosphere controller that controls an atmosphere in the intermediate powder storage and an atmosphere in the shaping chamber.

A titanium-tantalum alloy having a titanium wt % ranging from 10% to 70% and wherein the titanium has a body centered cubic structure. A method of forming a titanium-tantalum alloy, the method comprising the steps of: (a) slicing a 3D CAD model of a part to be formed into a plurality of 2D image layers; (b) preparing a homogenous powder mixture of titanium powder and tantalum powder; (c) dispensing a layer of the powder mixture onto a processing bed; (d) performing powder bed fusion of the layer of the powder mixture according to one of the 2D image layers in one of: a vacuum environment and an inert gas environment; and performing steps (c) and (d) for each of the plurality of 2D image layers in succession.

Described herein are kits, methods, and systems for printing metal three-dimensional objects. In an example, described is a multi-fluid kit for three-dimensional printing comprising: a first fluid comprising a first liquid vehicle comprising metal or metal precursor particles; and a second fluid comprising a second liquid vehicle comprising latex polymer particles dispersed therein, wherein the latex polymer particles have an average particle size of from about 10 nm to about 300 nm, and wherein the metal or metal precursor particles comprise metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles and a reducing agent, or combinations thereof.

Described herein are kits, methods, and systems for printing metal three-dimensional objects. In an example, described is a multi-fluid kit for three-dimensional printing comprising: a first fluid comprising a first liquid vehicle comprising metal or metal precursor particles; and a second fluid comprising a second liquid vehicle comprising latex polymer particles dispersed therein, wherein the latex polymer particles have an average particle size of from about 10 nm to about 300 nm, and wherein the metal or metal precursor particles comprise metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles and a reducing agent, or combinations thereof.

A joining material for bonding overlapping components of a power electronic device together via a liquid phase sintering process. The joining material includes a mixture of composite particles. Each of the composite particles exhibits a core-shell structure having a core made of a copper-based material and a shell surrounding the core that is made of a low melting point material having a melting temperature or a solidus temperature less than that of the copper-based material of the core. The mixture of composite particles includes a first particulate fraction having a first median particle size and a second particulate fraction having a second median particle size. The first median particle size is at least one order of magnitude larger than the second median particle size.

A joining material for bonding overlapping components of a power electronic device together via a liquid phase sintering process. The joining material includes a mixture of composite particles. Each of the composite particles exhibits a core-shell structure having a core made of a copper-based material and a shell surrounding the core that is made of a low melting point material having a melting temperature or a solidus temperature less than that of the copper-based material of the core. The mixture of composite particles includes a first particulate fraction having a first median particle size and a second particulate fraction having a second median particle size. The first median particle size is at least one order of magnitude larger than the second median particle size.

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.

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.

An apparatus for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional structures from a material that is to be solidified by way of location-selective solidification thereof as a result of light-induced chemical and/or physical processes in the material includes a laser source for producing a laser beam, a focusing optical unit for focusing the laser beam so as to form a laser focus, and a beam-splitter optical unit for splitting the laser beam into at least two partial laser beams. The laser source, the focusing optical unit and the beam-splitter optical unit are arranged such that the laser beam, starting from the laser source, passes first through the focusing optical unit and then through the beam-splitter optical unit and the partial laser beams finally are each directed to different locations on the material that is to be solidified.