A method can include blending materials to form a blend where the materials include a first particulate material and a second particulate material and where the first particulate material is water reactive and includes aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group consisting of metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31; and forming a degradable object from the blend.

A method can include pressing material to form a billet where the material includes aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic metals having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31; extruding the billet to form extrudate; and forming a degradable component from the extrudate.

According to the invention, a metal workpiece made by additive manufacturing is subjected, following the additive manufacturing process, to a cold treatment in which the workpiece is cooled to a lower target temperature of less than minus 30° C. in a cooling phase and is then heated up to an upper target temperature in a heating phase. The cold treatment significantly improves the properties of the workpiece in respect of the mechanical quality thereof.

According to the invention, a metal workpiece made by additive manufacturing is subjected, following the additive manufacturing process, to a cold treatment in which the workpiece is cooled to a lower target temperature of less than minus 30° C. in a cooling phase and is then heated up to an upper target temperature in a heating phase. The cold treatment significantly improves the properties of the workpiece in respect of the mechanical quality thereof.

A composite material of Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays in zeolite and its fabrication methods are provided. The zeolite can be prepared by a hydrothermal method and the Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays can be prepared by using zeolite as a template. The zeolite can have porous structures with an average pore size of 0.74 nm and the plurality of nanowires can have an average diameter smaller than 1 nm and can be dispersed on internal or external surfaces of the porous structures. The Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays can be made of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn), or carbon (C). A composite material of the Angstrom-scale aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), or zinc (Zn) nanowire arrays in zeolite can exhibit characteristics of one-dimensional (1D) superconductor.

A composite material of Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays in zeolite and its fabrication methods are provided. The zeolite can be prepared by a hydrothermal method and the Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays can be prepared by using zeolite as a template. The zeolite can have porous structures with an average pore size of 0.74 nm and the plurality of nanowires can have an average diameter smaller than 1 nm and can be dispersed on internal or external surfaces of the porous structures. The Angstrom-scale nanowire arrays can be made of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn), or carbon (C). A composite material of the Angstrom-scale aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), or zinc (Zn) nanowire arrays in zeolite can exhibit characteristics of one-dimensional (1D) superconductor.

A system for producing an object from a powder by selective laser sintering. The system includes a chamber and a support platform in the chamber. A spreader applies a layer of powder to a bed surface. An irradiation source irradiates select points in the powdered layer prepared on the support platform. A radiant heater heats at least a portion of the bed surface. A temperature sensor monitors the temperature of select points on the bed surface. A controller adjusts the radiant heater in response to temperature data provided by the temperature sensor.

A system for producing an object from a powder by selective laser sintering. The system includes a chamber and a support platform in the chamber. A spreader applies a layer of powder to a bed surface. An irradiation source irradiates select points in the powdered layer prepared on the support platform. A radiant heater heats at least a portion of the bed surface. A temperature sensor monitors the temperature of select points on the bed surface. A controller adjusts the radiant heater in response to temperature data provided by the temperature sensor.

Some variations provide a system for producing a functionalized powder, comprising: an agitated pressure vessel; first particles and second particles contained within the agitated pressure vessel; a fluid contained within the agitated pressure vessel; an exhaust line for releasing the fluid from the agitated pressure vessel; and a means for recovering a functionalized powder containing the second particles disposed onto surfaces of the first particles. A preferred fluid is carbon dioxide in liquefied or supercritical form. The carbon dioxide may be initially loaded into the pressure vessel as solid carbon dioxide. The pressure vessel may be batch or continuous and is operated under reaction conditions to functionalize the first particles with the second particles, thereby producing a functionalized powder, such as nanofunctionalized metal particles in which nanoparticles act as grain refiners for a component ultimately produced from the nanofunctionalized metal particles. Methods for making the functionalized powder are also disclosed.

Techniques are disclosed for milling an iron-containing raw material in the presence of a nitrogen source to generate anisotropically shaped particles that include iron nitride and have an aspect ratio of at least 1.4. Techniques for nitridizing an anisotropic particle including iron, and annealing an anisotropic particle including iron nitride to form at least one α″-Fe.sub.16N.sub.2 phase domain within the anisotropic particle including iron nitride also are disclosed. In addition, techniques for aligning and joining anisotropic particles to form a bulk material including iron nitride, such as a bulk permanent magnet including at least one α″-Fe.sub.16N.sub.2 phase domain, are described. Milling apparatuses utilizing elongated bars, an electric field, and a magnetic field also are disclosed.