Incorporating hard particles in a matrix forming the surface of a member can significantly increase wear resistance. Hard particles can degrade when they come in contact with a molten matrix material releasing constituent elements. These elements can locally degrade the matrix material on solidification. Coating the hard particles to limit contact with the matrix material and introducing an alloying element proximate the hard particles improve retention of the particles in the matrix.

Incorporating hard particles in a matrix forming the surface of a member can significantly increase wear resistance. Hard particles can degrade when they come in contact with a molten matrix material releasing constituent elements. These elements can locally degrade the matrix material on solidification. Coating the hard particles to limit contact with the matrix material and introducing an alloying element proximate the hard particles improve retention of the particles in the matrix.

A method of manufacturing an interlayer comprising a first material and a second material. A first structure (302) is formed from the first material on a first surface using an additive manufacturing technique. The first structure comprises at least one surface which is not in contact with the first surface and faces towards the first surface at an angle of less than 90 degrees. A second structure (303) is formed from the second material, such that the second structure conforms to the first structure on a side of the first structure opposite the first surface. The first structure and the second structure together form the interlayer, and the first structure and second structure are shaped such that separating the first and second structure requires deforming one or both of the first or second structure.

A method of joining first and second materials. The first material is a metal, a ceramic, or a composite material comprising carbon fibre, and the second material is a metal. The first material has a coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE, which is higher than a CTE of the second material. An interlayer is formed, having a high thermal expansion surface and a low thermal expansion surface. The CTE of the interlayer varies through its depth between the CTE of the first material and the CTE of the second material. The interlayer has four average coefficients of thermal expansion, aCTE, defined such that each aCTE is the average coefficient of thermal expansion over one quarter of the thickness of the interlayer. Each aCTE is less than the previous aCTE, where the first aCTE is next to the high thermal expansion surface. Either: the difference between the first and second aCTE is greater than the difference between the second and third aCTE, and the difference between the second and third aCTE is greater than the difference between the third and fourth aCTE; or the difference between the second and third aCTE is greater than both the difference between the first and second aCTE and the difference between the third and fourth aCTE.

A method of joining first and second materials. The first material is a metal, a ceramic, or a composite material comprising carbon fibre, and the second material is a metal. The first material has a coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE, which is higher than a CTE of the second material. An interlayer is formed, having a high thermal expansion surface and a low thermal expansion surface. The CTE of the interlayer varies through its depth between the CTE of the first material and the CTE of the second material. The interlayer has four average coefficients of thermal expansion, aCTE, defined such that each aCTE is the average coefficient of thermal expansion over one quarter of the thickness of the interlayer. Each aCTE is less than the previous aCTE, where the first aCTE is next to the high thermal expansion surface. Either: the difference between the first and second aCTE is greater than the difference between the second and third aCTE, and the difference between the second and third aCTE is greater than the difference between the third and fourth aCTE; or the difference between the second and third aCTE is greater than both the difference between the first and second aCTE and the difference between the third and fourth aCTE.

Additive fabrication methods for 3D composite objects having preform fiber reinforcements embedded in a matrix material include providing local heat and mechanical energy to at least partially melt, impregnate and solidify the matrix material forming at least one reinforced composite layer of the object. Successive layers are added in accordance to a computer generated tool path to form a three dimensional object with useful features.

Additive fabrication methods for 3D composite objects having preform fiber reinforcements embedded in a matrix material include providing local heat and mechanical energy to at least partially melt, impregnate and solidify the matrix material forming at least one reinforced composite layer of the object. Successive layers are added in accordance to a computer generated tool path to form a three dimensional object with useful features.

A method of forming a cutting element comprises disposing diamond particles in a container and disposing a metal powder on a side of the diamond particles. The diamond particles and the metal powder are sintered so as to form a polycrystalline diamond material and a low-carbon steel material comprising less than 0.02 weight percent carbon and comprising an intermetallic precipitate on a side of the polycrystalline diamond material. Related cutting elements and earth-boring tools are also disclosed.

Provided is an aluminum-diamond-based composite which can be processed with high dimensional accuracy. The flat-plate-shaped aluminum-diamond-based composite is coated with a surface layer of which the entire surface has an average film thickness of 0.01-0.2 mm and which contains not less than 80 volume % of a metal containing an aluminum.

A method, product, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the application of the Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method to produce objects in metal, and in metal fiber hybrids or composites. The approach has many advantages, including the ability to produce more complex geometries than conventional methods such as milling and casting, improved material properties, higher production rates and the elimination of complex fixturing, complex tool paths and tool changes and, for casting, the need for patterns and tools. The approach works by slicing a 3D model, selectively printing a fluid onto a sheet of substrate material for each layer based on the model, flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal to which the fluid adheres in printed areas, clamping and aligning a stack of coated sheets, heating the stacked sheets to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate, and removing excess powder and unfused substrate.