A metal foam ball, several millimeters in diameter, is manufactured to have an open-pore structure to absorb fluid (e.g., gas and liquid) such as water or lubricant. As an example, a copper foam ball is manufactured via a freeze casting method using prepared oxide powder slurry where a spherical silica gel mold is used to freeze the slurry, which is subsequently dried at low temperature in vacuum and then sintered at high temperature. For improved oxidation, copper alloy foam ball or copper foam ball coated with tin can also be manufactured through the same method. For improved strength, steel, copper-nickel alloy, or titanium foam ball can also be manufactured through the same method.

A metal foam ball, several millimeters in diameter, is manufactured to have an open-pore structure to absorb fluid (e.g., gas and liquid) such as water or lubricant. As an example, a copper foam ball is manufactured via a freeze casting method using prepared oxide powder slurry where a spherical silica gel mold is used to freeze the slurry, which is subsequently dried at low temperature in vacuum and then sintered at high temperature. For improved oxidation, copper alloy foam ball or copper foam ball coated with tin can also be manufactured through the same method. For improved strength, steel, copper-nickel alloy, or titanium foam ball can also be manufactured through the same method.

A polycrystalline super hard construction is disclosed having a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, the polycrystalline super hard material comprising a plurality of grains of super hard material; a second region forming a substrate to the first region; and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface, the interface comprising a portion having an uneven topology and a substantially planar portion, the third region comprising a composite material including a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, and a matrix material.

Systems and methods are disclosed for fabricating a metal or ceramic component using a 3D printer. An entire 3D printed piece, including both the metal or ceramic component and one or more support structures, is created of a first metal or ceramic material. A sensitization layer is applied to all or part of the 3D printed piece to chemically alter portions of the first metal or ceramic material near the surface making those portions of the material more sensitive to the etching process. The etching process causes the affected material to deplete and separates the component from the support structures without requiring mechanical machining.

Systems and methods are disclosed for fabricating a metal or ceramic component using a 3D printer. An entire 3D printed piece, including both the metal or ceramic component and one or more support structures, is created of a first metal or ceramic material. A sensitization layer is applied to all or part of the 3D printed piece to chemically alter portions of the first metal or ceramic material near the surface making those portions of the material more sensitive to the etching process. The etching process causes the affected material to deplete and separates the component from the support structures without requiring mechanical machining.

The present invention relates to a method for producing supported catalysts, comprising: providing a metal foam element A, which consists of metallic cobalt, an alloy of nickel and cobalt, or an arrangement of layers of nickel and cobalt, lying one over the other; applying an aluminum-containing powder MP to metal foam element A in order to obtain metal foam element AX; thermally treating metal foam element AX to achieve alloy formation between metal foam element A and aluminum-containing powder MP, in order to obtain metal foam element B; oxidatively treating metal foam element B, in order to obtain metal foam element C; and applying a catalytically active layer, comprising at least one support oxide and at least one catalytically active component, to at least part of the surface of metal foam element C, in order to obtain a supported catalyst. The present invention further relates to the supported catalysts that can be obtained using the method and to the use of said supported catalysts in chemical transformations.

The present disclosure provides a preparation method of a metal powder material. An alloy sheet composed of a matrix phase and a dispersive phase with different chemical reactivities is prepared by the rapid solidification technique of alloy melt. Metal powder is prepared by the reaction of the alloy sheet and an acid solution. Please refer to the description for the detailed preparation method. This method is simple in operation, can be used to prepare many kinds of metal powder materials of different shapes and at the nanometer scale, the submicron scale and the micron scale, and has a good application prospect in the fields of catalysis, powder metallurgy and 3D printing.

The present disclosure provides a preparation method of a metal powder material. An alloy sheet composed of a matrix phase and a dispersive phase with different chemical reactivities is prepared by the rapid solidification technique of alloy melt. Metal powder is prepared by the reaction of the alloy sheet and an acid solution. Please refer to the description for the detailed preparation method. This method is simple in operation, can be used to prepare many kinds of metal powder materials of different shapes and at the nanometer scale, the submicron scale and the micron scale, and has a good application prospect in the fields of catalysis, powder metallurgy and 3D printing.

A method for forming a metallic structure having a secondary component includes positioning the secondary component on a main formation surface of a main tool, the main formation surface corresponding to a desired shape of a first layer of material. The method also includes depositing a layer of material on the secondary component and the main formation surface using a cold-spray technique such that the layer of material bonds to the secondary component. The method also includes removing the layer of material and the secondary component to form the metallic structure.

A cutting element comprises a supporting substrate, and a cutting table attached to an end of the supporting substrate. The cutting table comprises a first region and a second region. The first region comprising inter-bonded diamond particles and is substantially free of at least highly catalytic metallic compounds, one or more non-catalytic compounds within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles, and voids within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles. The second region comprising inter-bonded diamond particles, one or more non-catalytic compounds within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles, and one or more metallic phases within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles. The first region of the cutting table has a content of elemental metal of at least about 2.6 wt %. A method of forming a cutting element, and an earth-boring tool are also described.