A negative electrode active material including a silicon-containing alloy having a predetermined composition is used in an electric device. A ratio value (B/A) of a diffraction peak intensity B of a (001) plane of Sn to a diffraction peak intensity A of a (111) plane of Si is 0.3 or more and 3.7 or less in an X-ray diffraction measurement of the silicon-containing alloy using a CuKα1 ray. Here, the diffraction peak of the (111) plane of Si is present in a range of 2θ=24 to 33° and the diffraction peak of the (001) plane of Sn is present in a range of 2θ=26 to 35°.

The invention relates to a method for producing a metal-foam body, comprising the steps of (a) providing a metal-foam body A, which consists of nickel, cobalt, copper, or alloys or combinations thereof, (b) applying an aluminum-containing material MP to metal-foam body A so as to obtain metal-foam body AX, (c) thermally treating of metal-foam body AX, with the exclusion of oxygen, to achieve the formation of an alloy between the metallic components of metal-foam body A and the aluminum-containing material MP so as to obtain metal-foam body B, wherein the duration of the thermal treatment is chosen in dependence on the temperature of the thermal treatment and the temperature of the thermal treatment is chosen in dependence on the thickness of the metal-foam body AX. The invention also relates to the metal-foam bodies obtainable by the methods according to the invention and to the use thereof as catalysts for chemical transformations.

A reactive matrix infiltration process is described herein, which includes contacting a surface of a preform comprising reinforcement material particles with a molten infiltrant comprising a matrix material, the matrix material comprising an Al—Ce alloy, whereby the infiltrant at least partially fills spaces between the reinforcement material particles by capillary action and reacts with the reinforcement material particles to form a composite material form, the composite material comprising the matrix material, at least one intermetallic phase, and, optionally, reinforcement material particles. A composite material form also is described, which includes a plurality of reinforcement material particles comprising a metal alloy or a ceramic, a matrix material at least partially filling spaces between the reinforcement material particles; and at least one intermetallic phase surrounding at least some of the reinforcement material particles. The reinforcement material particles and intermetallic phase together may form a gradient core-shell structure.

A reactive matrix infiltration process is described herein, which includes contacting a surface of a preform comprising reinforcement material particles with a molten infiltrant comprising a matrix material, the matrix material comprising an Al—Ce alloy, whereby the infiltrant at least partially fills spaces between the reinforcement material particles by capillary action and reacts with the reinforcement material particles to form a composite material form, the composite material comprising the matrix material, at least one intermetallic phase, and, optionally, reinforcement material particles. A composite material form also is described, which includes a plurality of reinforcement material particles comprising a metal alloy or a ceramic, a matrix material at least partially filling spaces between the reinforcement material particles; and at least one intermetallic phase surrounding at least some of the reinforcement material particles. The reinforcement material particles and intermetallic phase together may form a gradient core-shell structure.

A cemented carbide having an eta phase and a Ni—Al binder is provided. The binder includes intermetallic γ′-Ni.sub.3Al-precipitates embedded in a substitutional solid solution matrix including Al and Ni. Further, the cemented carbide has a surface zone free from eta phase. A method of making a cutting tool is also provided.

The present disclosure relates to a wear part made in a foundry. The wear part has a reinforced portion comprising a ferrous alloy reinforced with metal carbides, nitrides, borides, or intermetallic alloys. The reinforced portion includes inserts of metal carbides, nitrides, metal, or intermetallic compounds manufactured beforehand with a defined geometry and inserted into an infiltrable structure of agglomerated grains including the reagents needed for the formation of metal or intermetallic carbides, nitrides, borides according to an in situ self-propagating thermal reaction initiated during the casting of the ferrous alloy.

A rare earth regenerator material particle and a regenerator material particle group having a high long-term reliability, and a superconducting magnet, an examination apparatus, a cryopump and the like using the same are provided. A rare earth regenerator material particle contains a rare earth element as a constituent component, and in the particle, a peak indicating a carbon component is detected in a surface region by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

A rare earth regenerator material particle and a regenerator material particle group having a high long-term reliability, and a superconducting magnet, an examination apparatus, a cryopump and the like using the same are provided. A rare earth regenerator material particle contains a rare earth element as a constituent component, and in the particle, a peak indicating a carbon component is detected in a surface region by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

A titanium aluminide (TiAl) coating capable of improving high-temperature oxidation resistance of titanium alloys and a preparation method thereof are provided. The TiAl coating includes α-AlF.sub.3 nanoparticles, and a content of the α-AlF.sub.3 nanoparticles is 5-30 vol. % of the TiAl coating. The preparation method of the TiAl coating includes: using a TiAl alloy target and an α-AlF.sub.3 target as raw materials, and performing magnetron sputtering on a substrate surface to prepare a coating; the magnetron sputtering is double-target co-sputtering, and a substrate temperature during the magnetron sputtering is 150° C., the TiAl alloy target is performed direct current sputtering with a power of 0.5-2 kW, and the α-AlF.sub.3 target is performed radio frequency sputtering with a power of 0.07-0.2 kW. After the coating is obtained by the double-target co-sputtering, the obtained coating is heat-treated at 600-800° C. for 5-20 h to obtain a final coating.

A hydrogenation-dehydrogenation method for a TiAl alloy includes performing hydrogenation treatment of the TiAl alloy in an environment of a set temperature equal to or higher than a temperature at which phase transformation to a β phase starts; and performing dehydrogenation treatment of the TiAl alloy which has been subjected to the hydrogenation treatment. The set temperature ranges from 1,100° C. to 1,600° C.