A method for manufacturing near net shapes of complex configuration components. The method includes mixing a plurality of powdered metals to form a blended powder; gravity sintering a sand mold filled with the blended powder to form a gravity sintered preform; and vacuum hot-pressing the gravity sintered preform to form a near net shape component.

A method for making a sputtering target including steps of encapsulating and hot isostatically pressing at least one mass of metal powder (e.g., tantalum), having a particle size ranging from about 10 to about 1000 m, with at least about 10 percent by weight of particles having a particle size greater than about 150 m (for example, about 29 to about 56 percent (e.g., about 35 to about 47 percent) by weight of the particles in the at least one mass of metal powder having a particle size that is larger than 150 microns, but below about 250 m), for defining at least a portion of a sputtering target body, having an essentially theoretical random and substantially uniform crystallographic texture.

A method of manufacturing a component comprising contacting a powder with a tooling comprising a main body and a removable element, applying a manufacturing process to the powder to form the powder into a component, removing the removable element from the tooling to form a recess, and inserting a separation tool into the recess to thereby apply a force to separate the component from the main body of the tooling. A tooling for forming a component from a powder, the tooling comprising a main body and a removable element which is removable from the main body to form a recess for the insertion of a separation tool to apply a force to separate the component from the main body of the tooling.

The present disclosure relates to a method of heat treating a component (e.g. a combustor tile) which may be formed of a first material e.g. a nickel superalloy. The component may be formed using an ALM method. The method comprises enclosing at least part of the component in a foil envelope which may be formed of a second material wherein the second material (e.g. stainless steel) is more susceptible to reactive oxidation than the first material. Next the envelope is purged with an inert gas (e.g. argon) and the envelope is sealed. The component is then heated e.g. using hot isostatic pressing.

A method of fabricating a component is described and involves retaining a canister as an integral part of the component after performing an isostatic pressing process. The method comprises: providing a canister having a canister wall that encloses an internal cavity, the canister wall comprising at least a first wall section and a second wall section, where the first wall section and the second wall section are of different materials; filling the internal cavity with a powdered material; performing an isostatic pressing process on the filled canister to consolidate the powder; and retaining the canister as an integral part of the component such that an internal structure of the component comprises the consolidated powder and the canister wall forms at least part of a surface of the component that covers the internal structure.

A method of making a cutter structure (1) comprises placing a pre-formed body (4) of hard material having a surface topography in a canister, placing an aggregated mass of grains of superhard material (2) over said surface topography, placing a punch (10) in contact with the superhard material (2), the punch (10) having a surface with a surface topography inverse to that of the hard material body to imprint a pattern in the superhard material (2) complementary to the surface topography of the punch (10). The surface of the punch (10) contacting the superhard material (2) being formed of a ceramic material that does not react chemically with the superhard material (12) and/or a sinter catalyst for the superhard material (2). A pressure of greater than 3 GPa is then together with a temperature sufficiently high for the catalyst to melt to form the cutter structure (1) with a layer of polycrystalline superhard material bonded to the hard material and having a surface topography corresponding to the surface topography of the hard material.

A method of making a cutter structure (1) comprises placing a pre-formed body (4) of hard material having a surface topography in a canister, placing an aggregated mass of grains of superhard material (2) over said surface topography, placing a punch (10) in contact with the superhard material (2), the punch (10) having a surface with a surface topography inverse to that of the hard material body to imprint a pattern in the superhard material (2) complementary to the surface topography of the punch (10). The surface of the punch (10) contacting the superhard material (2) being formed of a ceramic material that does not react chemically with the superhard material (12) and/or a sinter catalyst for the superhard material (2). A pressure of greater than 3 GPa is then together with a temperature sufficiently high for the catalyst to melt to form the cutter structure (1) with a layer of polycrystalline superhard material bonded to the hard material and having a surface topography corresponding to the surface topography of the hard material.

A method for manufacturing an article, e.g. a nuclear pressure vessel. The method involves: a) charging at least one hopper with steel powder; b) supplying an oxide stripping medium to the steel powder in the at least one hopper; c) removing the oxide stripping medium and any oxide particles stripped from the steel powder from the at least one hopper; d) discharging the oxide stripped steel powder into a can that provides a mould for the article; and e) converting the steel powder to solid steel by hot isostatic pressing to form the article. Stripping the steel powder of oxides whilst the steel powder is in the at least one hopper optimises desirable material properties of the article and thereby quality and safety of the article.

A method for manufacturing an article, e.g. a nuclear pressure vessel. The method involves: a) charging at least one hopper with steel powder; b) supplying an oxide stripping medium to the steel powder in the at least one hopper; c) removing the oxide stripping medium and any oxide particles stripped from the steel powder from the at least one hopper; d) discharging the oxide stripped steel powder into a can that provides a mould for the article; and e) converting the steel powder to solid steel by hot isostatic pressing to form the article. Stripping the steel powder of oxides whilst the steel powder is in the at least one hopper optimises desirable material properties of the article and thereby quality and safety of the article.

A method for making a sputtering target including steps of encapsulating and hot isostatically pressing at least one mass of metal powder (e.g., tantalum), having a particle size ranging from about 10 to about 1000 ?m, with at least about 10 percent by weight of particles having a particle size greater than about 150 ?m (for example, about 29 to about 56 percent (e.g., about 35 to about 47 percent) by weight of the particles in the at least one mass of metal powder having a particle size that is larger than 150 microns, but below about 250 ?m), for defining at least a portion of a sputtering target body, having an essentially theoretical random and substantially uniform crystallographic texture.