Provided is a method for making a modified alloy. The method includes: providing at least one base alloy; providing at least one boride compound represented by the formula, M.sub.xB.sub.y; forming a melt pool comprising the base alloy and the at least one boride compound, and solidifying at least a portion of the melt pool. In the formula, M is a non-boron element, B is boron, x=1 or 2, and y=1 or 2.

A compositionally-graded structure including a body having a first major surface and a second major surface opposed from the first major surface along a thickness axis, the body including a metallic component and a ceramic component, wherein a concentration of the ceramic component in the body is a function of location within the body along the thickness axis, wherein transitions of the concentration of the ceramic component in the body are continuous such that distinct interfaces are not macroscopically established within the body, and wherein the concentration of the ceramic component is at least 95 percent by volume at at least one location within the body along the thickness axis.

A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material formed of a mass of superhard grains exhibiting inter-granular bonding and defining a plurality of interstitial regions therebetween, and a non-superhard phase at least partially filling a plurality of the interstitial regions and having an associated shape factor of greater than around 0.65 and a substrate bonded to the body of superhard material along an interface, the substrate having a region adjacent the interface comprising binder material in an amount at least 5% less than the remainder of the substrate.

There is provided a method of manufacturing a continuous wire comprising forming a strip formed from at least one metallic material into a channel, placing at least one powder into the channel and sealing edges of the channel together to produce a wire, wherein the method further comprises mixing the powder with a carrier liquid to create a slurry and placing the slurry into the channel. The carrier liquid is chemically inert with respect to the at least one powder.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a powder feedstock, such as for bulk welding, which can produce welds. The powder feedstock can include high levels of boron, and may be improved over previously used cored wires. Coatings can be formed from the powder feedstock which may have high hardness in certain embodiments, and low mass loss under ASTM standards.

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.

The present invention discloses a conductive silver aluminum paste, a preparation method, an electrode, and an N-type Topcon battery. The conductive silver aluminum paste comprises silver powder, metal powder containing aluminum element, powder containing silicon or boron element, glass powder, and organic carrier; wherein, when defining the total weight of the conductive silver aluminum paste as 100%, the weight percentage content of each component is: silver powder 80.0%-90.0%, metal powder containing aluminum element 0.5%-3.0%; powder containing silicon or boron element 0.1%-1.0%; glass powder 1.5%-6.0%; organic carrier 7.0%-15.0%. The present invention meets requirements for electrode materials of current development of N-type Topcon batteries well, and has advantages of low contact resistances, high open circuit voltages, high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and high output power.

Provided is a powder for shaping through irradiation with an energy beam, the powder including: a sublimable substance; and a sublimation suppression material, wherein the sublimation suppression material is an inorganic compound, and wherein particles of the sublimation suppression material adhere to part of surfaces of particles of the sublimable substance.

Provided is a target formed of a sintering-resistant material of high-melting point metal alloy, high-melting point metal silicide, high-melting point metal carbide, high-melting point metal nitride or high-melting point metal boride comprising a structure in which a target material formed of a sintering-resistant material of high-melting point metal alloy, high-melting point metal silicide, high-melting point metal carbide, high-melting point metal nitride or high-melting point metal boride and a high-melting point metal plate other than the target material are bonded. Additionally provided is a production method of such a target capable of producing, with relative ease, a target formed of a sintering-resistant material of high-melting point metal alloy, high-melting point metal silicide, high-melting point metal carbide, high-melting point metal nitride or high-melting point metal boride, which has poor machinability, can relatively easily produced. Further the generation of cracks during the target production and high power sputtering, and the reaction of the target raw material with the die during hot pressing can be inhibited effectively, and the warpage of the target can be reduced.

Provided are a diamond composite material which is excellent in thermal conductivity, suitable as a material for a heat radiating member, and dense, the heat radiating member, and a method for producing a diamond composite material that can productively produce a diamond composite material which is excellent in wettability between diamond and metal and dense. The diamond composite material includes: a coated diamond particle including a diamond particle and a carbide layer covering a surface of the diamond particle and including an element of group 4 of the periodic table; and silver or a silver alloy binding such coated diamond particles together, with an oxygen content of 0.1 mass % or less.