There are a composite material including an aluminum-based matrix and a device adopting the same. The composite material including an aluminum-based matrix may include an aluminum-based matrix including a plurality of grains, wherein each of the grains has a plurality of sub-grains; and a self-organized phase present at a sub-grain boundary between the plurality of sub-grains, wherein the self-organized phase has a band structure and includes a solid solution of aluminum and a non-metal element. The sub-grains and the self-organized phase coming into contact with the sub-grains may form a substantially coherent interface. A plurality of dislocations spaced apart from each other may be provided along the coherent interface.

The present invention provides an artifactless superelastic alloy including a Au—Cu—Al alloy, the superelastic alloy containing Cu in an amount of 20 atom % or more and 40 atom % or less, Al in an amount of 15 atom % or more and 25 atom % or less, and Au as a balance, the superelastic alloy having a bulk magnetic susceptibility of −24 ppm or more and 6 ppm or less. The Ni-free superelastic alloy of the present invention is capable of exhibiting superelasticity in a normal temperature range, and hardly generated artifacts in a magnetic field environment. The alloy can be produced by setting a casting time in a melting and casting step to a fixed time, and hot-pressing an alloy after casting to make material structures homogeneous.

A die-casting method using a sintered material increases bonding strength between an insert and a casting portion. A die-cast product is manufactured using the die-casting method. The die-casting method includes an insert preparation step of preparing an insert having pores formed in a surface thereof by compacting iron-based powder and then sintering the compacted iron-based powder. The pores have a size of 100 μm or more and are distributed over the surface of the insert and the insert has a density of 6.4 to 6.9 g/cm.sup.3 The method includes a die-casting step of placing the prepared insert inside a mold and injecting molten aluminum into the mold so as to perform casting while causing the molten aluminum to infiltrate into the pores formed in the surface of the insert.

A high performance die castable aluminum alloy is described, wherein the aluminum alloy is characterized as having a high yield strength and high conductivity, and also a high flowability and low susceptibility to hot tearing when die cast.

A method of casting a metal alloy ingot, including the following steps: providing a one side open-ended mould including a plurality of sides and a bottom plate defining a mould cavity with a mould opening, the open-ended mould being pivotable around a horizontal rotational axis between a position so that the mould opening points upwards and a position so that the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; positioning the open-ended mould such that the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; providing a casting container with an upwardly positioned aperture; filling the casting container with molten metal for one casting operation; coupling the casting container to the open-ended mould so that the casting container is located below the mould while the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards; rotating the open-ended mould together with the casting container around the horizontal rotational axis for approximately 90° to 180° from a position whereby the mould opening points side-wards or down-wards to a position whereby the mould opening points upwards such that the molten metal is conveyed through the mould opening into the open-ended mould until reaching a desired thickness, whereby the molten metal in the open-ended mould is cooled directionally through its thickness where the solidification front remains substantially monoaxial.

A range of alloys of Mg and at least one of Cu, Si, Ni and Na alloys that is particularly suitable for hydrogen storage applications. The alloys of the invention are formed into binary and ternary systems. The alloys are essentially hypoeutectic with respect to their Cu and Ni contents, where one or both of these elements are present, but range from hypoeutectic through to hypereutectic with respect to their Si content when that element is also present. The terms hypoeutectic and hypereutectic do not apply to Na if it is added to the alloy. The alloy compositions disclosed provide high performance alloys with regard to their hydrogen storage and kinetic characteristics. They are also able to be formed using conventional casting techniques which are far cheaper and more amenable to commercial use than the alternative ball-milling and rapid solidification techniques which are much more expensive and complex. Each of the individual binary Mg-E systems, where E=Cu, Ni or Si, forms a eutectic comprising of Mg metal and a corresponding Mg.sub.xE.sub.y intermetallic phase.

An apparatus for synchronously melting and preparing alloy, the alloy to be added is made into wire in advance, and the wire feeding speed required for the preparation of the alloy with a specific composition is calculated according to the flow rate of raw molten aluminum in the launder. In the continuous ingot casting process, the wire is continuously and stably fed into the launder of the raw molten aluminum at the wire feeding speed, and the alloy preparation is formed in real time, which is able to avoid specific gravity segregation caused by the long-term standing of melt, and realize the preparation of gradient materials while significantly improving the alloying efficiency. The present disclosure also relates to a method for synchronously melting and preparing alloy.

An aluminum alloy plastic worked article including a plastic worked portion formed of a thinned portion 22 formed by plastic working and rib portions 21 formed at two ends of this thinned portion 22 having an approximately H-shaped or U-shaped cross-section. The plastic worked portion is a plastic worked portion 2 having strain portions 23 in each of which an equivalent strain of up to 4.0 mm/mm generated by plastic working is present, and the strain portions 23 are each located in the vicinity of the surface of the plastic worked portion 2 at a boundary between the thinned portion 22 and each of the rib portions 21 and are each formed of a non-recrystalline texture N of aluminum which is not recrystallized or formed of the non-recrystalline texture N and a fine crystalline texture M which is recrystallized but has a crystal grain of 500 μm or less.

Methods and apparatus for a composite bicycle front sprocket are disclosed herein. One embodiment discloses a composite bicycle front sprocket assembly having an outer assembly of a first material. The bicycle front sprocket assembly also has a center assembly of a second material. The center assembly is disposed at least partially within the outer assembly. The center assembly is irremovably coupled with the outer assembly. The center assembly is irremovably coupled with the outer assembly without an external fastening device to irremovably couple the center assembly with the outer assembly.

A fishing jig is disclosed. The fishing jig includes a semitransparent skirt having a generally tubular body that extends between a closed head end and a tail end that includes an opening. A channel is formed within the tubular body and extends from the opening toward the head end. The fishing jig also includes a jig head positioned within the channel of the skirt and at least partially visible through the skirt. The jig head may include a body having a first side and a second side, an eye positioned on each of the first side and the second side, the eyes being visible through the skirt, and a hook that extends from the body and through the opening in the skirt. The fishing jig may mimic the look and motion of bait fish.