An apparatus and a method for continuous solvothermal synthesis of nanoparticles, are provided. The apparatus includes an inlet section, a reactor section, a flexible quenching unit, and an outlet section. The inlet section separately receives reactants including the solvent and a precursor solution that are allowed to flow into the reactor section. The reactor section includes multiple spiral turns such that each of the spiral turns includes a helical channel followed by a counter-helical channel for enabling mixing of the reactants to cause solvothermal reactions between them. The counter-helical channel changes the direction of flow of reactants upon flow of said reactants from the helical channel to the counter-helical channel. The flexible quenching section enclosing a portion of the reactor section quenches a slurry formed as a result of the solvothermal reactions, wherein the slurry includes the nanoparticles of targeted characteristics. The outlet section facilitates withdrawal of the slurry.

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.

The present disclosure provides a coated iron particle, or reaction product of a coating and the iron particle, comprising an iron particle and a ceramic coating disposed on the iron particle. Aspects of the present disclosure provide a coated iron particle, or reaction product of a coating and the iron particle, including an iron particle having a diameter of from about 0.5 micron to about 100 microns; and a ceramic coating disposed on the iron particle. Aspects of the present disclosure further provide compositions comprising a coated iron particle and a polymer or adhesion promoter. Aspects of the present disclosure further provide components, such as components, such as vehicle components, having a surface and a composition of the present disclosure disposed on the surface.

A soft magnetic composite comprising an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material coated with an oxide material. An interface between the ferromagnetic material and the layer of oxide contains antiphase domain boundaries. Two processes for producing a soft magnetic composite are also provided. One process includes depositing an oxide layer onto an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material by molecular beam epitaxy at a partial oxygen pressure of from 1×10.sup.−5 Torr to 1×10.sup.−7 Torr to form a coated composite. The other process includes milling an iron or iron alloy ferromagnetic material powder and an oxide powder by high-energy milling to form a mixture; compacting the mixture and curing in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature from 500° C. to 1200° C. to form a soft magnetic composite.

A method for fabrication of a composite component including a first material containing steel 316L and a second material containing zirconia powder formed in a single sintering. The method for fabrication includes: a) forming a first injection molding composition including steel 316L powder and a second injection molding composition including zirconia powder; b) agglomerating via injection molding one of the first and second compositions to form at least a first part of a blank; c) agglomerating by injection molding the other of the first and second materials against the first part of the blank to form at least a second part of the blank; and d) non-consecutively sintering the first and second compositions forming the blank to obtain the composite component formed of steel 316L and zirconia.

A method for producing fine copper particles includes producing fine copper particles having a coating film containing cuprous oxide on a surface by heating copper or a copper compound in a reducing flame formed by a burner. The fine copper particles are produced by adjusting a mixing ratio between a combustible gas and a combustion supporting gas which form the reducing flame such that a volume ratio of CO/CO.sub.2 is in a range of 1.5 to 2.4.

A method and device for manufacturing a bevelled stone, particularly for a timepiece are disclosed. A precursor is produced from a mixture of at least one material in powder form with a binder. The method includes pressing the precursor so as to form a green body, using a top die and a bottom die comprising a protruding rib, sintering the green body so as to form a body of the future stone in at least one material, the body including a peripheral face and a bottom face provided with a groove, and machining the body including a substep of planning the peripheral face up to the groove, such that an inner wall of the groove forms at least a flared part of the peripheral face of the stone.

Methods and systems for producing feedstock powders, suitable for use in laser-based additive manufacturing, use laser ablation to vaporize a source material, which may be in bulk solid or solid coarse grain form. The source material is vaporized by a laser (or other focused energy source) in a vaporization chamber that is temperature controlled to provide a vertical thermal gradient. The vertical thermal gradient may be controlled to, in turn, control the nucleation, coagulation, and agglomeration of the vaporized molecules, enabling formation of microparticles that may then be used as feedstock powders in laser-based additive manufacturing. The produced feedstock powder particles may be of uniform composition, of uniform shape (e.g., substantially spherical), and of uniform phase or homogeneously-mixed phases.

A composite fiber composed of at least a metal sintered body and a ceramic sintered body. In the composite fiber, the metal sintered body and the ceramic sintered body are adjacent to each other. The composite fiber having the metal sintered body and the ceramic sintered body can have a tensile strength of 5 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more.

A coated soft magnetic alloy particle includes a soft magnetic alloy particle containing an amorphous phase, and a first film containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an inorganic compound having a hexagonal, trigonal, or monoclinic crystal structure and a layered silicate mineral. The first film coats a surface of the soft magnetic alloy particle, and an outer peripheral contour of a section of the coated soft magnetic alloy particle has an average smoothness ζ_ave of 0.92 or more and 1.00 or less (i.e., from 0.92 or more and 1.00).