A sintered bearing includes, on an inner peripheral surface, a cylindrical portion and a one-side increased-diameter portion, which are provided so as to be continuous in the axial direction. An end portion of one side in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion and an end portion of another side in the axial direction of the increased-diameter portion coincide, and the cylindrical portion and the increased-diameter portion are molded by performing sizing on a sintered compact having a tubular shape, which is introduced into a die.

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.

There is provided conductive paste excellent in electro-conductivity and thermal conductivity. Conductive paste comprising conductive filler being composite particles including copper powder and nanosize precipitates which are disposed on the surface of the copper powder and composed of at least one kind of transition metal belonging to the group 8 to group 10 of the periodic table or a compound of the transition metal, and a binder resin.

A method for producing a sensor on the surface of a functional layer, in which suitable sensor material in the form of powder or a wire is melted in a laser beam by way of a method similar to laser cladding and subsequently is applied to the surface of the functional layer. There is provided a considerably improved method for producing sensors, and in particular in-situ sensors, wherein the sensors can also be deposited onto a functional layer that, in part, is very coarse, without having to employ complex masks, as has previously been customary. The ease of adapting the method parameters ensures broad use both with respect to the sensor to be produced and the functional layer to be detected. The sensors thus produced are used, in particular, to detect components that are subject to high temperatures or the functional layers thereof. The sensors that can be produced in accordance with the invention include, in particular, temperature, pressure or voltage sensors, as well as acceleration sensors.

Metallic copper fine particles coated with a fatty acid and an ester compound. Also disclosed is an antiviral agent containing the metallic copper fine particles and a method for producing the metallic copper fine particles.

A method of manufacturing a highly insulating three-dimensional (3D) structure is provided. The method includes depositing a first layer of hollow microspheres onto a base. The hollow microspheres have a metallic coating formed thereon. A laser beam is scanned over the hollow microspheres so as to sinter the metallic coating of the hollow microspheres at predetermined locations. At least one layer of the hollow microspheres is deposited onto the first layer. Scanning by the laser beam is repeated for each successive layer until a predetermined 3D structure is constructed. The 3D structure includes a composite thermal barrier coating (TBC), which may be applied to a surface of components within an internal combustion engine, and the like. The composite TBC is bonded to the components of the engine to provide low thermal conductivity and low heat capacity insulation that is sealed against combustion gasses.

In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.

With an aim to provide a method for producing an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics and also provide an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics, the present invention provides a method for producing an oxide particle, wherein the color characteristics of the oxide particle are controlled by controlling a ratio of an M-OH bond between an element (M) and a hydroxide group (OH) or an M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio, where the element (M) is one element or plural different elements other than oxygen or hydrogen included in the oxide particle selected from metal oxide particles and semi-metal oxide particles. According to the present invention, by controlling the M-OH bond or the M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio of the metal oxide particle or the semi-metal oxide particle, the oxide particle with controlled color characteristics of any of reflectance, transmittance, molar absorption coefficient, hue, and saturation can be provided.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a mixed powder for powder metallurgy that makes it possible to improve mold-filling ability and reduce spread in weight of molded bodies. The mixed powder for powder metallurgy according to the present invention is obtained by mixing a graphite powder with an average particle diameter D50 of 1.0 μm or more to 3.0 μm or less and D90 of 10 μm or less, without adding a binder, with an iron-based powder, while applying a sheer force. The thus obtained mixed powder for powder metallurgy according to the present invention is characterized by including the iron-based powder and the graphite powder present so as to be collected in concave portions of the iron-based powder.

A method for forming a metallization structure is provided, including forming a metallic powder layer on a substrate; performing a first laser sintering on a first portion of the metallic powder layer to form a metal layer; and in the presence of oxygen, performing a second laser sintering on a second portion of the metallic powder layer to form a metal oxide layer to serve as a first dielectric layer.