An arrangement (1) including at least one workpiece (2) for sintering, more particularly a dental workpiece, and having at least one support material (3), and including a sintering apparatus (4) for sintering the workpiece (2), wherein the sintering apparatus (4) has at least one gas inlet duct (5) for protective gas and at least one base surface (6), and the workpiece (2) lies on the base surface (6) on the support material (3) and protrudes at least partially beyond the support material (3), wherein the protective gas can be supplied to the workpiece (2) preferably exclusively through the support material (3).

A sintered body production method includes sintering a sintering precursor containing a metal in the presence of a gas adsorbent, the gas adsorbent being activated at a temperature at which the metal is not oxidized.

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 for heat treating a powder part preform including a titanium alloy, includes heat treating the preform in a furnace at a predefined temperature, wherein the preform is on a holder during the heat treatment. The holder includes a titanium alloy having a mass titanium content no lower than 45%, or a zirconium alloy having a mass zirconium content no lower than 95%, wherein the material making up the holder has a melting temperature higher than the predefined heat treatment temperature, and an antidiffusion barrier is arranged between the preform and the holder to prevent the preform from becoming welded to the holder.

A method for heat treating a powder part preform including a titanium alloy, includes heat treating the preform in a furnace at a predefined temperature, wherein the preform is on a holder during the heat treatment. The holder includes a titanium alloy having a mass titanium content no lower than 45%, or a zirconium alloy having a mass zirconium content no lower than 95%, wherein the material making up the holder has a melting temperature higher than the predefined heat treatment temperature, and an antidiffusion barrier is arranged between the preform and the holder to prevent the preform from becoming welded to the holder.

A method for hot isostatic pressing includes the steps of providing or obtaining an article of manufacture, which optionally includes a copper or nickel alloy, disposing the article of manufacture in a shroud, the shroud defining an enclosed volume wherein the article of manufacture is disposed, the shroud being configured as a multi-piece joined structure to retard gaseous mass transport from outside the shroud to inside the enclosed volume, disposing the shroud in a containment vessel of a hot isostatic pressing apparatus and disposing a getter material in the shroud and/or in the containment vessel, and introducing an inert gas at an elevated temperature and pressure into the containment vessel for hot isostatic pressing.

A sintering device comprising a tray including a tray part in which metallic workpieces to be sintered (not represented here) are placed during the sintering operation and a base part in which the tray is located including gas-flowing holes and side wall extended upwardly from the edge of the upper surface of the base part, and a sintering chamber including side wall extended downwardly from the upper surface for covering the tray part and at least one gas flow passage between the inner surface thereof and outer surface of the side wall of the tray part;

wherein the tray part and base part are integrally formed; wherein the base part includes at the lower portion through holes in horizontal and longitudinal directions for gas inflowing and discharging, a hole at crossover point of the through holes for penetrating the center portion of the base plate and extended to the exterior, and wherein the lower end of the sinter chamber is disposed on the lowered and stepped surface of the base part and the stepped portion formed in the middle of the side wall of the sintering chamber is supported by the upper end of the side wall of the tray for allowing the gas to flow.

A process for producing an oxygen absorbing agent includes treating an alloy with an aqueous solution of an acid or an alkali, the alloy including at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, iron, platinum, and copper group metals and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zinc, tin, lead, magnesium, and silicon to elute and remove at least a part of the component; and subjecting the alloy obtained by removing at least a part of the component in the alloy to treatment with an aqueous solution of a salt of an inorganic acid or a salt of an organic acid that can form a salt with the transition metal as the component, to form a metal salt in at least a part of the surface of the alloy.

A method is provided in which a lower box comprising a base, walls that surround the base and an open side, and an upper box comprising a cover, walls that surround the cover and an open side are provided. One or more objects are arranged on the base of the lower box. The object(s) are covered with the upper box such that the open side of the upper is oriented towards the base of the box, the walls of the upper box are arranged on the base of the lower box and a gap is formed between the walls of the upper box and the walls of the lower box. A powder material is introduced into the gap in order to form an assembly having an interior. The powder material provides a mechanical obstacle to gas exchange between the interior and the environment. This assembly is then heat treated.