The invention is directed to a radical improvement of the specific electrochemical and corrosive characteristics of a lead-acid battery without a drastic change in the process of battery producing. The lead-carbon metal composite material contains from 0.1 to 10% by weight of carbon, lead is the remainder, while the structure of the material contains carbon allotropic modifications from graphene to graphite. The method for material synthesizing is characterized in that lead or its alloys are melted in a melt of alkaline and/or alkaline earth metal halides containing from 1 to 20 wt. % of metal carbides or non-metals with a particle size of 100 nm to 200 ?m, or solid organic substances, for 1-5 hours at a temperature of 700-900? C.

A reinforcing metal blank may be used to form metal matrix composite (MMC) drill bits. For example, an MMC drill bit may include a shank attached to a reinforcing metal blank that extends into a bit body comprising a metal matrix composite, wherein the reinforcing metal blank comprises reinforcing structures that are positioned along at least a portion of an inner surface and/or at least a portion of an outer surface of the reinforcing metal blank and extend into the metal matrix composite; and a plurality of cutting elements coupled to an exterior portion of the bit body.

A multi-material mold and a method of constructing a multi-material mold for injection molding using additive manufacturing comprises defining a structure of the mold; and defining at least two sub-regions, associating the sub-regions with respective specific materials and printing the sub-regions with the specific material. The sub-regions may include an internal sub-region that allows dissipation of heat accumulating during use of the mold, where the specific material is heat conductive; an embedded heat sink sub-region for conducting heat away from the internal sub-region allowing dissipation, where the specific material is relatively non-conductive mold material embedded with lines or layers of relatively heat-conductive material; a sub-region resistant to abrasion, where the specific material is an abrasion-resistant polymer; a sub-region resistant to breaking under process conditions, where the specific material is a high toughness and high Tg polymer or a digital material and a sub-region of flexible material for sealing and releasing.

A hard composite composition may comprise a binder and a polymodal blend of matrix powder. The polymodal blend of matrix powder may have at least one first local maxima at a particle size of about 0.5 nm to about 30 m, at least one second local maxima at a particle size of about 200 m to about 10 mm, and at least one local minima between a particle size of about 30 m to about 200 m that has a value that is less than the first local maxima.

A circuit breaker having a monolithic structure and method of making is disclosed. The monolithic structure includes an arm portion having copper and a contact portion having a composite material. The composite material has a metallic matrix and a second phase disposed in the metallic matrix. The method of making the monolithic structure includes introducing a first powder into a first region of a mold, introducing a second powder into a second region of the mold, and consolidating the first powder and the second powder together. The first region of the mold corresponds to a contact portion, and the second region corresponds to an arm portion of the monolithic structure of the circuit breaker.

A metal composite comprises: a matrix comprising periodic metal springs; and a filler material comprising one or more of the following: a carbon composite; a polymer; a metal; graphite; cotton; asbestos; or glass fiber; wherein the filler material is bounded to the matrix via one or more of the following: a mechanical interlocking; a chemical bond; a solid solution; or an active layer disposed between the periodic metal springs and the filler material.

A light metal material having a tensile strength of >180 MPa at room temperature is provided, as well as a method for producing such a light metal material and the use of such a light metal material as a piston component in a rotary piston engine.

Elongated, ultra-high conductivity electrical conductors for use in advanced electronic components and vehicles, and methods for producing the same, are disclosed herein. The elongated electrical conductors include a conductor body that defines a longitudinal axis. The conductor body includes an isotropically conductive matrix material and a plurality of anisotropically conductive particles interspersed within the isotropically conductive matrix material. Each anisotropically conductive particle defines a respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conductor body. The methods include providing a bulk matrix-particle composite that includes the isotropically conductive matrix material and the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles. The methods further include forming the bulk matrix-particle composite into an elongated electrical conductor and aligning the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles such that the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity thereof is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor.

A method for making covetic metal-carbon composites or compositions by electron beam melt heating under vacuum (pressure <10.sup.3 Torr) is described herein. This fabrication method is advantageous, in that it provides oxygen-free covetic materials in a process that allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method described herein also can be applied to produce multi-element-carbon composites within a metal or alloy matrix, including high melting temperature materials such as ceramic particles or prefabricated nano- or micro-structures, such as carbon nanotubes or graphene compounds. The covetic reaction between metal and carbon takes place under the influence of flowing electrons through the melted metal-carbon precursor. This process creates strong bonding between nanocarbon structure and the metal elements in the melt.

Elongated, ultra-high conductivity electrical conductors for use in advanced electronic components and vehicles, and methods for producing the same, are disclosed herein. The elongated electrical conductors include a conductor body that defines a longitudinal axis. The conductor body includes an isotropically conductive matrix material and a plurality of anisotropically conductive particles interspersed within the isotropically conductive matrix material. Each anisotropically conductive particle defines a respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the conductor body. The methods include providing a bulk matrix-particle composite that includes the isotropically conductive matrix material and the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles. The methods further include forming the bulk matrix-particle composite into an elongated electrical conductor and aligning the plurality of anisotropically conductive particles such that the respective axis of enhanced electrical conductivity thereof is at least substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrical conductor.