A conductive supporting member includes an outer portion that includes a Cu matrix phase and a second phase dispersed in the Cu matrix phase and containing a Cu—Zr compound and that has an alloy composition represented by Cu-xZr (x is atomic % of Zr and 0.5≤x≤16.7 is satisfied) and an inner portion that is present on an inner side of the outer portion, is formed of a metal containing Cu, and has higher conductivity than the outer portion.

There are provided high melting point metal or alloy powder atomization manufacturing processes comprising providing a melt of the high melting point metal or alloy through a feed tube; diverting the melt at a diverting angle with respect to a central axis of the feed tube to obtain a diverted melt; directing the diverted melt to an atomization area; and providing at least one atomization gas stream to the atomization area. The atomization process can be carried out in the presence of water within an atomization chamber used for the atomization process.

Methods for the manufacture of fine metal powders from metal carboxylate compounds such as metal oxalate compounds. The method includes decomposing particulates of the metal oxalate compound by heating to a decomposition temperature in the presence of a dilute hydrogen gas to decompose the metal oxalate compound, and forming a fine metal powder by heating to a higher refining temperature to remove contaminants from the metal powder. The method may include the conversion of a non-oxalate metal compound to a hydrated metal oxalate and the dehydration of the hydrated metal oxalate before decomposition to the metal. The method is applicable to the production of a wide variety of metals, and is particularly applicable to the production of rare earth metals of high purity and fine particle size.

Processes are provided for producing a titanium alloy material, such as Ti—Al alloys. In one embodiment, the process includes: heating an input mixture to a preheat temperature with the input mixture including aluminum, optionally, AlCl.sub.3, and, optionally ally, one or more alloying element halide; introducing TiCl.sub.4 to the input mixture at the first reaction temperature such that substantially all of the Ti.sup.4+ in the TiCl.sub.4 is reduced to Ti.sup.3+; thereafter, heating to a second reaction temperature such that substantially all of the Ti.sup.3+ is reduced to Ti.sup.2+ to form an intermediate mixture (e.g., a Ti.sup.2+ salt); and introducing the intermediate mixture into a reaction chamber at a disproportionation temperature reaction to form the titanium alloy material from the Ti.sup.2+ via a disproportionation reaction.

A method for densifying a material includes arranging the material in a cavity of a mold and applying pressure to the material in the mold. While applying pressure to the material in the mold, a magnetic field is applied to the material in the mold to cause the material to transform between a first allotrope phase and a second allotrope phase. Applying the magnetic field to the material includes magnetic cycling, which includes one or more iterations of adjusting the magnetic field to a first strength, and then adjusting the magnetic field to a second strength. The method includes determining a density of the material during the magnetic cycling and, responsive to determination that the determined density reaches a threshold density, stopping the magnetic cycling.

Disclosed are: a metal nanostructure having a diameter of 2 nm to 2.5 nm; and a manufacturing method therefor. The formed metal nanostructure is provided as approximately spherical single-crystalline nanoparticles or amorphous alloy nanoparticles. Besides, a nanostructure fabricated in the form of an oxide has a nanoneedle shape. For formation of the metal nanostructure, an amorphous nanostructure is used. A second metal element having a higher standard reduction potential than a central metal constituting the amorphous nanostructure is used in the synthesis of the metal nanostructure.

Methods of treating metal nanocrystals are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises exposing metal nanocrystals comprising a metal and characterized by at least one twinning boundary therein, to a plating solution comprising a reducing agent and coating metal cations comprising a different metal, under conditions to form a coating of the different metal on surfaces of the metal nanocrystals via electroless deposition by chemical reduction of the coating metal cations, thereby providing coated metal nanocrystals. Methods of forming bulk nanostructured metal alloys from the coated metal nanocrystals are also provided.

Aluminum alloys, fabricated by a rapid solidification process, with high strength, high ductility, high corrosion resistance, high creep resistance, and good weldability.

Provided is a sputtering target material having excellent crack resistance and a method of producing the same. Also provided is a sputtering target material and a method of producing the same. The sputtering target material is composed of an alloy consisting of B; one or more rare earth elements; and the balance consisting of Co and/or Fe and unavoidable impurities. The amount of B in the alloy is 15 at. % or more and 30 at. % or less. The one or more rare earth elements are selected from the group consisting of Pr, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho. The total amount of the one or more rare earth elements in the alloy is 0.1 at. % or more and 10 at. % or less.

An additive manufacturing method of producing a metal alloy article may involve: Providing a supply of a metal alloy in powder form; providing a supply of a nucleant material, the nucleant material lowering the nucleation energy required to crystallize the metal alloy; blending the supply of metal alloy powder and nucleant material to form a blended mixture; forming the blended mixture into a first layer; subjecting at least a portion of the first layer to energy sufficient to raise the temperature of the first layer to at least the liquidus temperature of the metal alloy; allowing at least a portion of the first layer to cool to a temperature sufficient to allow the metal alloy to recrystallize; forming a second layer of the blended mixture on the first layer; and repeating the subjecting and allowing steps on the second layer to form an additional portion of the metal alloy article.