The invention relates to a device for the additive manufacturing of workpieces under protective gas, which device is provided with a manufacturing chamber designed as a pressure chamber, said manufacturing chamber being fluidically connected to a pressure container via a gas extraction line, which is provided with a vacuum pump, and via a gas return line. After the manufacturing of a first workpiece, the protective gas present in the manufacturing chamber is evacuated, temporarily stored in the pressure container and, prior to the manufacturing of a second workpiece, is introduced into the manufacturing chamber.

The invention relates to a device for the additive manufacturing of workpieces under protective gas, which device is provided with a manufacturing chamber designed as a pressure chamber, said manufacturing chamber being fluidically connected to a pressure container via a gas extraction line, which is provided with a vacuum pump, and via a gas return line. After the manufacturing of a first workpiece, the protective gas present in the manufacturing chamber is evacuated, temporarily stored in the pressure container and, prior to the manufacturing of a second workpiece, is introduced into the manufacturing chamber.

Methodologies, systems, and devices are provided for producing metal spheroidal powder products. Dehydrogenated and spheroidized particles are prepared using a process including introducing a metal hydride feed material into a plasma torch. The metal hydride feed material is melted within a plasma in order to dehydrogenate and spheroidize the materials, forming dehydrogenated and spheroidized particles. The dehydrogenated and spheroidized particles are then exposed to an inert gas and cooled in order to solidify the particles into dehydrogenated and spheroidized particles. The particles are cooled within a chamber having an inert gas.

The present invention relates to a method for the post-treatment of particles (51) carried along in a process gas (50) of a device (1) for the generative manufacturing of three-dimensional objects, wherein the particles (51) are conducted to a filter chamber (40). An oxidant (60) is added to the particles (50) and that an oxidation reaction of the particles (50) with the oxidant (60) is initiated.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a chamber, a material layer former, an inert gas supplier, and a material supply unit. The material supply unit includes a material tank, a transporter, and a sieve. The material tank stores material. The transporter transports the material discharged from the chamber and the material tank to the highest level of a conveyance route of the material. The sieve is provided below the transporter and above the chamber, removes impurities from the material sent from the transporter and then discharge the material downward to replenish the material layer former with the material.

An additively manufactured (AM) object may include a body including an opening in an exterior surface thereof, the opening having a shape and a first area at the exterior surface of the body. A mask may be positioned over the opening. The mask has the shape of the opening and a second area that is larger than the first area so as to overhang the exterior surface of the body about the opening. A plurality of support ligaments couple to the mask and the exterior surface of the body at a location adjacent to the opening to support a portion of the mask. A coating can be applied to the object, and the mask removed. The final AM object includes a plurality of ligament elements extending from the exterior surface of the body and through the coating adjacent the opening, each ligament element at least partially surrounded by the coating.

A silicified modified zero-valent iron, whose surface layer is a silicic-containing oxide layer formed by silicate, which is obtained by the following method: dissolved silicate and micron iron powder are used as raw materials and mixed in proportion, and ball milling under an inert gas atmosphere to obtain the silicified modified zero-valent iron. The invention also discloses the application of silicified modified zero-valent iron in repairing polluted water bodies. The invention uses green silicate as silicon source to carry out surface silicification modification of micron zero-valent iron, which has simple operation, low cost and is convenient for large-scale production. Moreover, the prepared silicified zero-valent iron has good dispersibility, high reduction activity and strong recycling performance, and can be used for the treatment of various polluted water bodies and soil.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a chamber, a material layer former, and a guide member. The material layer former includes a base on which a molding region is present, a recoater head that moves on the base in a horizontal direction while discharging material, and a blade that levels the material to form a material layer. The guide member includes a feed chute that is configured to enable the material to be flowed, a shaft that is provided to shut a lower end portion of the feed chute and has a through hole, and a rotary actuator that rotates the shaft. The discharge of the material is switched to an on- or off-state by rotating the shaft.

A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.

Niobium alloy powder that is highly spherical is described. The niobium alloy powder can be useful in additive manufacturing and other uses. Methods to make the niobium alloy powder are further described as well as methods to utilize the niobium alloy powder in additive manufacturing processes. Resulting products and articles using the niobium alloy powder are further described.