A silver powder which has a small content of carbon and which is difficult to be agglutinated, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal, which is prepared by melting silver to which 40 ppm or more of copper is added, is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the molten metal to rapidly cool and solidify the molten metal to produce a silver powder which contains 40 ppm or more of copper, 0.1% by weight or less of carbon and 0.1% by weight or less of oxygen and wherein the particle diameter (D50 diameter) corresponding to 50% of accumulation in volume-based cumulative distribution of the silver powder, which is measured by means of a laser diffraction particle size analyzer, is in the range of from 1 μm to 15 μm, the average particle diameter (SEM diameter) of single particles being in the range of from 1 μm to 8 μm when it is measured by means of a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), the ratio (SEM diameter/D50 diameter) of the SEM diameter to the D50 diameter being in the range of from 0.3 to 1.0.

Graphite-containing brass alloy billets having less than 0.25 wt. % lead and a method of manufacturing relating thereto are provided. The method includes forming a brass powder and mixing the brass powder with graphite and one or more binders. The brass powder contains copper and zinc and may be formed using water atomization. The brass-powder mixture is compacted to form an initial billet. The initial billet may be subjected to one or more heating treatments. A first heating treatment may be used to remove the one or more binders. An optional second heating treatment may be used to deoxidize the binder-free billet. A third heating treatment may sinter the compact to form the workable graphite-containing brass alloy billet.

Graphite-containing brass alloy billets having less than 0.25 wt. % lead and a method of manufacturing relating thereto are provided. The method includes forming a brass powder and mixing the brass powder with graphite and one or more binders. The brass powder contains copper and zinc and may be formed using water atomization. The brass-powder mixture is compacted to form an initial billet. The initial billet may be subjected to one or more heating treatments. A first heating treatment may be used to remove the one or more binders. An optional second heating treatment may be used to deoxidize the binder-free billet. A third heating treatment may sinter the compact to form the workable graphite-containing brass alloy billet.

Graphite-containing brass alloy billets having less than 0.25 wt. % lead and a method of manufacturing relating thereto are provided. The method includes forming a brass powder and mixing the brass powder with graphite and one or more binders. The brass powder contains copper and zinc and may be formed using water atomization. The brass-powder mixture is compacted to form an initial billet. The initial billet may be subjected to one or more heating treatments. A first heating treatment may be used to remove the one or more binders. An optional second heating treatment may be used to deoxidize the binder-free billet. An optional third heating treatment that includes applying a pressure may be used to densify the binder-free billet. A third heating treatment may sinter the compact to form the workable graphite-containing brass alloy billet.

Graphite-containing brass alloy billets having less than 0.25 wt. % lead and a method of manufacturing relating thereto are provided. The method includes forming a brass powder and mixing the brass powder with graphite and one or more binders. The brass powder contains copper and zinc and may be formed using water atomization. The brass-powder mixture is compacted to form an initial billet. The initial billet may be subjected to one or more heating treatments. A first heating treatment may be used to remove the one or more binders. An optional second heating treatment may be used to deoxidize the binder-free billet. An optional third heating treatment that includes applying a pressure may be used to densify the binder-free billet. A third heating treatment may sinter the compact to form the workable graphite-containing brass alloy billet.

A recoater of an additive manufacturing apparatus includes a powder retention section that defines a retention space in which a powder material is retained, and a slit part that has a slit inlet that receives the powder material retained and a slit outlet through which the powder material is discharged. The slit part includes a plate member fixed to the powder retention section by surface contact. A pair of slit inner wall surfaces that is connected to the slit outlet and faces each other is formed within a plate thickness of the plate member.

There is provided a silver powder which has a small average particle diameter and a small thermal shrinkage percentage, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal of silver heated to a temperature (1292 to 1692° C.), which is higher than the melting point (962° C.) of silver by 330 to 730° C., is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the molten metal of silver (preferably at a water pressure of 90 to 160 MPa) to rapidly cool and solidify the molten metal of silver to powderize silver to produce a silver powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 6 μm and a shrinkage percentage of not greater than 8% (preferably not greater than 7%) at 500° C., the product of the average particle diameter by the shrinkage percentage at 500° C. being 1 to 11 μm.Math.% (preferably 1.5 to 10.5 μm.Math.%).

Provided is a soft magnetic alloy having a composition of a compositional formula (Fe.sub.(1−(α+β))X1.sub.αX2.sub.β).sub.(1−(a+b+c+d+e))P.sub.aC.sub.bSi.sub.cCu.sub.dM.sub.e. X1 is one or more selected from a group consisting of Co and Ni, X2 is one or more selected from a group consisting of Al, Mn, Ag, Zn, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, N, 0, and rare earth elements, and M is one or more selected from the group consisting of Nb, Hf, Zr, Ta, Ti, Mo, W and V. 0.050≤a≤0.17, 0<b<0.050, 0.030<c≤0.10, 0<d≤0.020, 0≤e≤0.030, α≥0, β≥0, and 0≤α+β≤0.50.

A soft magnetic powder including particles having a composition represented by Fe.sub.xCu.sub.aNb.sub.b(Si.sub.1-yB.sub.y).sub.100-x-a-b [provided that a, b, and x are each a number whose unit is at % and satisfy 0.3≤a≤2.0, 2.0≤b≤4.0, and 73.0≤x≤79.5, respectively, and y is a number satisfying f(x)≤y≤0.99, in which f(x)=(4×10.sup.−34)x.sup.17.56], wherein the particle contains a crystal grain having a grain diameter of 1.0 nm or more and 30.0 nm or less, and includes a Cu segregated portion in which Cu is segregated, the Cu segregated portion is present at a position deeper than 30 nm from a surface of the particle, and a maximum Cu concentration in the Cu segregated portion exceeds 6.0 at %.

Provided is a hard particle in which Cr and W, that are quickly diffused in Mo, are present at the same time as Ni and Mn. Specifically, the hard particle contains Cr: 5% by mass to 20% by mass, W: 2% by mass to 19% by mass, Mo: 25% by mass to 40% by mass, Ni: 10% by mass to 22% by mass, Mn: 10% by mass or less, C: 2.0% by mass or less, Si: 2.0% by mass or less, and a remainder: Fe and unavoidable impurities.