The present invention relates to processes for producing metal foam bodies, in which metal-containing powders that may comprise aluminium and chromium or molybdenum are applied to metal foam bodies that may comprise nickel, cobalt, copper and iron and then treated thermally, wherein the highest temperature in the thermal treatment of the metal foam bodies is in the range from 680 to 715? C., and wherein the total duration of the thermal treatment within the temperature range from 680 to 715? C. is between 5 and 240 seconds. Following this method of thermal treatment can achieve alloy formation at the contact surface between metal foam body and metal-containing powder, but simultaneously leave unalloyed regions within the metal foam. The present invention further comprises processes comprising the treatment of the alloyed metal foam bodies with basic solution. The present invention further comprises the metal foam bodies obtainable by these processes, which find use, for example, as support and structure components and in catalyst technology.

A bone implant includes a body having a porous structure and having a size and shape configured for fitting to a bone, preferably in a bone defect. The porous structure is comprised of regularly arranged elementary cells whose interior spaces form interconnected pores, the elementary cells are formed by basic elements arranged in layers, wherein the basic elements are shaped like tetrapods, the tetrapods in each layer being arranged in parallel orientation and being positioned in-layer rotated with respect to tetrapods of an adjacent layer. The layers with rotated and non-rotated tetrapods are alternatingly arranged. Thereby a porous structure can be achieved which features improved mechanical characteristics, leading to improved biocompatibility.

A bone implant includes a body having a porous structure and having a size and shape configured for fitting to a bone, preferably in a bone defect. The porous structure is comprised of regularly arranged elementary cells whose interior spaces form interconnected pores, the elementary cells are formed by basic elements arranged in layers, wherein the basic elements are shaped like tetrapods, the tetrapods in each layer being arranged in parallel orientation and being positioned in-layer rotated with respect to tetrapods of an adjacent layer. The layers with rotated and non-rotated tetrapods are alternatingly arranged. Thereby a porous structure can be achieved which features improved mechanical characteristics, leading to improved biocompatibility.

In printing a sinterable part using a 3D printing model material including a binder and a ceramic or metal sintering material, a release layer intervenes between support structures and the part, each of the support structures and the part formed of the model material. The release layer includes a spherized or powdered higher melting temperature materialceramic or high temperature metal for example, optionally deposited with a similar (primary) matrix or binder component to the model material. After sintering, the release layer may become a loose powder, permitting the supports to be easily removed.

To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system with a binder matrix and a sinterable powder, walls of a part, sintering supports, or interconnecting platform are formed with access, distribution or routing channels therein to permit debinding fluid to pass through and/or enter the interior of the same.

To reduce distortion in an additively manufactured part, a densification linking platform and/or supports of the same composite as the desired part may be printed below the part. After debinding, a resulting shape-retaining brown part assembly is sintered to densify together at a same rate as neighboring metal particles throughout the shape-retaining brown part assembly undergo atomic diffusion. Distortion is reduced by interconnecting portions of the shape-retaining brown part assembly, printing release layers among the portions, depositing adjacent roads of the assembly in retrograde directions, and/or providing channels to accelerate a debinding process.

To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system using a polymer-based binder of a composite feedstock, a first tool path of a perimeter contour segment and a second tool path that is parallel and adjacent are deposited in retrograde directions to produce stress-offsetting adjacent paths, where directions of residual stress within the polymer-based binder of the composite are opposite in the stress-offsetting adjacent path.

A porous metal mold for a wet pulp molding process is disclosed herein. The porous metal mold comprises a first surface where a paper-pulp-fiber layer is disposed for forming a finished paper-shape product or a semi-finished paper-shape product; a cavity, formed on the first surface, for shaping the finished paper-shape product or the semi-finished paper-shape product; and a second surface. The porous metal mold is made by integrally sintering a plurality of metal particles, and after the sintering at least one pore is formed between at least two of the metal particles so that at least one through hole between the first surface and the second surface of the porous metal mold, for exhausting water or moisture contained in the paper-pulp-fiber layer disposed on the first surface.

This invention presents a method for manufacturing sintered and carburized porous stainless steel parts, comprising steps of: sintering stainless steel powders to obtain a porous sintered stainless steel, wherein the porous sintered stainless steel comprises a three dimensional network skeleton structure with a large number of interconnected pore channels; and carburizing the porous sintered stainless steel by a non-halogenated carbon-bearing gas, wherein the porous sintered stainless steel being maintained at a carburizing temperature below 600 C. such that carbon atoms can be implanted into the porous sintered stainless steel and converts a surface portion of the skeleton structure, that is in contact with the carbon-bearing gas in the interconnected pore channels, into a carburized layer. A carburized layer is formed and spread over a skeleton structure of the sintered porous body. Thereby, the strength, surface hardness, and core hardness of the sintered body are significantly increased.

Methods for manufacturing a composite material and composite materials are provided. The method may include preparing a metal foam, preparing a mixture including the metal foam and a curable polymer, curing the curable polymer of the mixture to obtain a composite material, and performing a planarization treatment. The planarization treatment may be performed on the metal foam before preparing the mixture, on the mixture before curing the curable polymer, and/or on the composite material. The composite materials may include a metal foam and a polymer that is on a surface and/or in pores of the metal foam. The composite material may have a surface roughness of 2 m or less and/or may have a thermal resistance of 0.5 Kin.sup.2/W or less at 20 psi.