Steels, in particular hot work steels having high toughness even for high thickness, including steels having long durability combined with mechanical, tribological and thermal properties for highly demanding applications, and steels which can achieve a very good environmental resistance and resistance to certain aggressive media combined with other relevant properties, are described. These steels may also be obtained at low cost. A method for the manufacture of steels having high thickness and manufacturing methods to shape the materials of the invention through several steps, including an additive manufacturing step to manufacture at least apart of an intermediate mold, a mold or a model, a Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) step, the elimination of the mold and densification among other steps, are also described.

A method of preparing silver-based oxide electrical contact materials with fiber-like arrangement, includes the following steps of: (1) uniformly mixing the silver-metal alloy powders and graphite powders and then ball-milling; (2) internally oxidizing the ball-milled powders; (3) sieving; (4) placing the sieved powders and the matrix powders into the powder mixer for mixing; (5) cold-isostatically pressing; (6) sintering; (7) hot-pressing; and (8) hot-extruding, thereby obtaining the silver-based oxide electrical contact material with fiber-like arrangement. The method of the present invention can obtain the silver-based oxide electrical contact material having neat fiber-like arrangement with no specific requirement on processing deformation, plasticity and ductility of the reinforcing phase. The production process in this method is simple and is easy to operate. Besides, there is no particular requirement on the equipment. The method greatly improves the performance of contact materials in aspects of resistance to welding and arc erosion, conductivity, and processing performance.

A method of preparing silver-based oxide electrical contact materials with fiber-like arrangement, includes the following steps of: (1) uniformly mixing the silver-metal alloy powders and graphite powders and then ball-milling; (2) internally oxidizing the ball-milled powders; (3) sieving; (4) placing the sieved powders and the matrix powders into the powder mixer for mixing; (5) cold-isostatically pressing; (6) sintering; (7) hot-pressing; and (8) hot-extruding, thereby obtaining the silver-based oxide electrical contact material with fiber-like arrangement. The method of the present invention can obtain the silver-based oxide electrical contact material having neat fiber-like arrangement with no specific requirement on processing deformation, plasticity and ductility of the reinforcing phase. The production process in this method is simple and is easy to operate. Besides, there is no particular requirement on the equipment. The method greatly improves the performance of contact materials in aspects of resistance to welding and arc erosion, conductivity, and processing performance.

One aspect relates to a process for producing a sintered workpiece, which includes sintering of a ceramic material at a temperature of at least 1000° C. and in an atmosphere, in the case of which the partial pressure of atmospheric air is reduced to less than 10.sup.−6-times, based on the ambient air at the same temperature under equilibrium conditions.

One aspect relates to a process for producing a sintered workpiece, which includes sintering of a ceramic material at a temperature of at least 1000° C. and in an atmosphere, in the case of which the partial pressure of atmospheric air is reduced to less than 10.sup.−6-times, based on the ambient air at the same temperature under equilibrium conditions.

A method of 3D printing an item, wherein a spray material comprising a powder entrained in an oxygen comprising carrier gas is emitted from a spray nozzle 8. The nozzle 8 comprises a constricted throat 11 that has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mk and a hardness of at least 10 Rockwell C (HRC). The temperature of the throat does not exceed 250° C., and preferably does not exceed 200° C.

A method of 3D printing an item, wherein a spray material comprising a powder entrained in an oxygen comprising carrier gas is emitted from a spray nozzle 8. The nozzle 8 comprises a constricted throat 11 that has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mk and a hardness of at least 10 Rockwell C (HRC). The temperature of the throat does not exceed 250° C., and preferably does not exceed 200° C.

A cooling device for cooling a component includes a base element with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and forming a rear side, and with a cooling structure having cooling elements that is arranged on the base element so as to protrude over the first surface. The rear side of the base element has a curved configuration and a prestress. Alternatively or additionally, at least one auxiliary element is arranged on the rear side to create a substance bonding between the cooling device and the component.

Crack-free powder-based, near net shaped parts are fabricated using a die assembly and cold isostatic pressing. Soft materials are introduced on both sides of die components in order to balance compression loads applied to the die component, and thereby avoid deformation of the die component.

Crack-free powder-based, near net shaped parts are fabricated using a die assembly and cold isostatic pressing. Soft materials are introduced on both sides of die components in order to balance compression loads applied to the die component, and thereby avoid deformation of the die component.