A method of additive manufacturing includes a) providing a component geometry with a hole and, b) selectively irradiating a powder bed with an energy beam according to the geometry in a layerwise manner, wherein in layers of the component including the hole, the respective regions which define the hole are irradiated with the energy beam such that a supporting structure is generated in the hole having a lower rigidity than a structure of the component. The supporting structure is used for counteracting stress or distortion during the additive buildup. A computer program product and apparatus correspond to the method.

The present disclosure discloses a preparation method of a powder metallurgy (PM) superalloy with high strength and plasticity. Under the multi-field coupling action of a thermal field and a force field, the PM superalloy is obtained in a high-temperature graphite mold by using the method of conducting heat preservation and oscillating-pressure sintering in two steps. Under the action of a circulating pressure, rearrangement of powders and discharge of pores are promoted, and therefore, the PM superalloy is sintered and formed. The present disclosure further discloses a PM superalloy prepared by using the method above. The PM superalloy has the characteristics of low grade of prior particle boundary defects, uniform grain refinement and high density. The sintered PM superalloy obtained in the present disclosure has a yield strength of 955 MPa, a tensile strength of 1,437 MPa and an elongation of 31.9%, and has high strength and plasticity.

This application relates to a nickel-based superalloy suitable for additive manufacturing and a method for manufacturing a high-temperature member using the same. The nickel-based superalloy includes 13.7% to 14.3% by weight of Cr, 9.0% to 10.0% by weight of Co, 3.7% to 4.3% by weight of Mo, 2.6% to 3.4% by weight of Ti, 3.7% to 4.3% by weight of W, 2.6% to 3.4% by weight of Al, 0.15% to 0.19% by weight of C, greater than 0% by weight and not less than 0.005% by weight of B, 0.01% to 0.05% by weight of Zr, 2.0% to 2.7% by weight of Ta, 0.6% to 1.1% by weight of Hf, Ni residue, and unavoidable impurities. The nickel-based superalloy has a high fraction of strengthening phase, thereby maintaining excellent high-temperature strength. Additive manufacturing with the nick-based superalloy is much easier than existing nickel-based superalloys, thereby cost-effectively providing maximized cooling efficiency.

Herein disclosed is a method of treating a component of a fuel cell, which includes the step of exposing the component of the fuel cell to a source of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The component comprises a first material. The EMR has a wavelength ranging from 10 to 1500 nm and the EMR has a minimum energy density of 0.1 Joule/cm2. Preferably, the treatment process has one or more of the following effects: heating, drying, curing, sintering, annealing, sealing, alloying, evaporating, restructuring, foaming. In an embodiment, the substrate is a component in a fuel cell. Such component comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, a catalyst, a barrier layer, a interconnect, a reformer, or reformer catalyst. In an embodiment, the substrate is a layer in a fuel cell or a portion of a layer in a fuel cell or a combination of layers in a fuel cell or a combination of partial layers in a fuel cell.

Some variations provide a composition for additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metals, comprising: from 10 vol % to 70 vol % of a photocurable liquid resin; from 10 vol % to 70 vol % of metal or metal alloy particles, optionally configured with a photoreflective surface; and from 0.01 vol % to 10 vol % of a photoinitiator. Other variations provide a composition for additive manufacturing of metals, comprising: from 1 vol % to 70 vol % of a photocurable liquid resin; from 0.1 vol % to 98 vol % of an organometallic compound containing a first metal; from 1 vol % to 70 vol % of metal or metal alloy particles containing a second metal (which may be the same as or different than the first metal); and from 0.01 vol % to 10 vol % of a photoinitiator. Many examples of metals, photocurable resins, organometallic compounds, photoinitiators, and optional additives are disclosed, and methods of making and using the composition are described.

A method of making a cutting tool includes providing a first sintered cemented carbide body of a WC, a metallic binder phase and eta phase and wherein the substoichiometric carbon content in the cemented carbide is between −0.30 to −0.16 wt %. The first sintered cemented carbide body is subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature of between 500 to 830° C. for a time between 1 to 24 h. A cutting tool made according to the above method having an increased resistance against comb cracks is also provided.

This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

A method for producing nickel powder sequentially includes: a mixing step of adding, to a nickel ammine sulfate complex solution, an insoluble solid as seed crystals and a polyacrylate or lignosulfonate as a dispersant to form a mixed slurry; and a reduction and precipitation step of charging a reaction vessel with the mixed slurry and blowing hydrogen gas into the mixed slurry in the reaction vessel to reduce nickel complex ions in the mixed slurry to form nickel precipitate on the surface of the insoluble solid, wherein the amount of the dispersant added in the mixing step is controlled to control the number of the nickel powder obtained by formation of the nickel precipitate in the reduction and precipitation step. (120 words)

Methods of making metal objects are provided. These methods generally involve adding a metal powder slurry into a sacrificial mold, such as a mold made by three dimensional printing, and heating the slurry/mold mixture. The heating steps may include curing the slurry to make a green part inside the mold, debinding to burn off the mold and binder to make a brown part, sintering, and hot isostatic pressing. Metal products, such as aircraft engine parts, are also provided.