A component includes a multiplicity of individual powder particles of Mo, a Mo-based alloy, W or a W-based alloy that have been fused together to give a solid structure by a high-energy beam via an additive manufacturing method. The component has an oxygen content of not more than 0.1 at %. An additive manufacturing method includes producing the powder via the melt phase and providing a carbon content in the region of not less than 0.15 at %. The components are crack-free and have high grain boundary strength.

A soft magnetic powder contains a particle having a composition represented by Fe.sub.xCu.sub.aNb.sub.b(Si.sub.1-yB.sub.y).sub.100-x-a-b, and 0.3≤a≤2.0, 2.0≤b≤4.0, and 72.5≤x≤75.5, and y is a number satisfying f(x)≤y≤0.99, and f(x)=(4×10.sup.−34)×17.56. The particle includes a crystal grain having a grain size of 1.0 nm to 30.0 nm, a Cu segregation portion, and a crystal grain boundary. A content proportion of the crystal grain is 30% or more. When the Cu segregation portion positioned in a surface layer portion and having a grain size of 1.0 nm to 5.0 nm is referred to as a first Cu segregation portion, and the Cu segregation portion positioned in an inner portion and having a grain size of 3.0 nm to 10.0 nm is referred to as a second Cu segregation portion, a number proportion of the first Cu segregation portion is 80% or more, and a number proportion of the second Cu segregation portion is 80% or more.

A load lock system for manufacturing a metal alloy using a feed material includes a process chamber having a controlled atmosphere, a feed chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to contain a quantity of the feed material, and a collection chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to collect the metal alloy manufactured in the process chamber. The system also includes a gate valve between the process chamber and the feed chamber configured to either allow passage of the feed material between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the feed chamber. The system also includes a discharge valve between the process chamber and the collection chamber configured to either allow passage of the metal alloy between the chambers, or to seal the process chamber from the collection chamber.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for forming block crystals of a metal compound. In some embodiments, a method for forming block crystals of a metal compound may comprise (a) introducing a source metal into a furnace; (b) forming a complete or partial vacuum in the furnace and increasing a temperature of the furnace above a melting point of the source metal to form a liquid flow of the source metal; (c) breaking the liquid flow to generate particles of the source metal; (d) ionizing the particles in an ionization chamber to form ionized particles, wherein the ionization chamber has a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the metal compound; and (e) introducing the ionized particles into a growth chamber comprising a reactive gas that is reactive with the ionized particles, to thereby form the block crystals of the metal compound.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for forming block crystals of a metal compound. In some embodiments, a method for forming block crystals of a metal compound may comprise (a) introducing a source metal into a furnace; (b) forming a complete or partial vacuum in the furnace and increasing a temperature of the furnace above a melting point of the source metal to form a liquid flow of the source metal; (c) breaking the liquid flow to generate particles of the source metal; (d) ionizing the particles in an ionization chamber to form ionized particles, wherein the ionization chamber has a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the metal compound; and (e) introducing the ionized particles into a growth chamber comprising a reactive gas that is reactive with the ionized particles, to thereby form the block crystals of the metal compound.

A powder production method includes providing an elongated workpiece and repeatedly contacting an outer surface of the elongated workpiece with a reciprocating cutter according to a predetermined at least one frequency to produce a powder. The powder includes a plurality of particles, wherein at least 95% of the produced particles have a diameter or maximum dimension ranging from about 10 μm to about 200 μm. A system for producing powders having a plurality of particles including a cutter and at least one controller is also provided herein.

A metal-Si based powder contains a metal-Si based particle including a plurality of crystal phase grains. The crystal phase grains include a crystal phase containing a compound of a metal and Si. The crystal phase grains have an average grain size of, for example, 20 μm or less. The metal-Si based particle has an average particle size of, for example, 5 to 100 μm.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

Provided is an Fe-based nanocrystalline alloy powder. The Fe-based nanocrystalline alloy powder has a chemical composition, excluding inevitable impurities, represented by a composition formula of Fe.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cP.sub.dCu.sub.eM.sub.f, where the M in the composition formula is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Mo, Zr, Ta, W, Hf, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, C, Al, S, O, and N, 79 at %≤a≤84.5 at %, 0 at %≤b<6 at %, 0 at %<c≤10 at %, 4 at %<d≤11 at %, 0.2 at %≤e≤0.53 at %, 0 at %≤f≤4 at %, a+b+c+d+e+f=100 at %, a degree of crystallinity is more than 10% by volume, and an Fe crystallite diameter of the Fe-based nanocrystalline alloy powder is 50 nm or less.

An expeditionary additive manufacturing (ExAM) system [10] for manufacturing metal parts [20] includes a mobile foundry system [12] configured to produce an alloy powder [14] from a feedstock [16], and an additive manufacturing system [18] configured to fabricate a part using the alloy powder [14]. The additive manufacturing system [18] includes a computer system [50] having parts data and machine learning programs in signal communication with a cloud service. The parts data [56] can include material specifications, drawings, process specifications, assembly instructions, and product verification requirements for the part [20]. An expeditionary additive manufacturing (ExAM) method for making metal parts [20] includes the steps of transporting the mobile foundry system [12] and the additive manufacturing system [18] to a desired location; making the alloy powder [14] at the location using the mobile foundry system; and building a part [20] at the location using the additive manufacturing system [18].