Method for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising the steps: a) charging metal material (142) to be reduced into a furnace space (120); b) providing heat and a reducing gas into the furnace space (120), so that heated reducing gas heats the charged metal material (142) to a temperature high enough so that metal oxides present in the charged metal material (142) are reduced, in turn causing water vapour to be formed; and c) condensing and collecting the water vapour formed in step c in a condenser (280); The method is characterised in that, in step a), the metal material (142) is charged onto a gas-permeable floor (151), in that the reducing gas is circulated in a closed loop upwards through said floor (151), through the charged metal material (142), and further via said condenser (280) and a gas forced circulation device (250), and in that the method further comprises the step d) supplying additional reducing gas to achieve and/or maintain a predetermined pressure in said furnace space (120). The invention also relates to a system.

Method and system for producing direct reduced metal material, comprising the steps: a) charging metal material to be reduced into a furnace space (120); b) evacuating an existing atmosphere from the furnace space to achieve a gas pressure of less than 1 bar therein, c) providing heat and hydrogen gas into the furnace space, so that heated hydrogen gas heats the charged metal material to a temperature high enough so that metal oxides present in the metal material are reduced, in turn causing water vapour to be formed, which hydrogen gas provision is performed so that a pressure of more than 1 bar builds up inside the furnace space; and d) before evacuating the built up overpressure, condensing and collecting the water vapour formed in step c in a condenser (160) below the charged metal material. The invention is characterised in that it further comprises the step e) before evacuating the build up overpressure, providing a carbon-containing gas to the furnace space, so that the heated and reduced metal material is carburized by said carbon-containing gas.

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.

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.

A method of manufacturing a hypoid gear includes face hobbing a gear blank and forming a green hypoid gear with gear teeth, heat treating the green hypoid gear to form a heat treated hypoid gear with heat treated gear teeth, and hard hobbing the heat treated gear teeth to form a hard finished hypoid gear. Critical non-tooth features on the heat treated hypoid gear are hard finished. Also, the critical non-tooth features on the heat treated hypoid gear can be hard finished prior to hard hobbing the heat treated gear teeth. The heat treating includes at least one of carburizing and induction hardening the green hypoid gear, a surface of the heat treated gear teeth has a hardness greater than or equal to 58 HRC, and the hard hobbing removes heat distortion from the heat treated gear teeth.

A method of manufacturing a hypoid gear includes face hobbing a gear blank and forming a green hypoid gear with gear teeth, heat treating the green hypoid gear to form a heat treated hypoid gear with heat treated gear teeth, and hard hobbing the heat treated gear teeth to form a hard finished hypoid gear. Critical non-tooth features on the heat treated hypoid gear are hard finished. Also, the critical non-tooth features on the heat treated hypoid gear can be hard finished prior to hard hobbing the heat treated gear teeth. The heat treating includes at least one of carburizing and induction hardening the green hypoid gear, a surface of the heat treated gear teeth has a hardness greater than or equal to 58 HRC, and the hard hobbing removes heat distortion from the heat treated gear teeth.

The present disclosure appropriately shortens a processing step for processing a substrate in which a silicon layer and a silicon germanium layer are alternatively laminated. The present disclosure provides a substrate processing method of processing the substrate in which the silicon layer and the silicon germanium layer are alternatively laminated, which includes forming an oxide film by selectively modifying a surface layer of an exposed surface of the silicon germanium layer by using a processing gas including fluorine and oxygen and converted into plasma.

The invention relates to a method for producing a sintered component comprising the steps: providing a metallic powder; filling the powder into a powder press; pressing the powder to form a green compact; removing the green compact from the powder press; sintering the green compact into a sintered component with pores; optional redensification of the sintered component; hardening of the sintered component, wherein the pores of the sintered component, prior to hardening at least in that region of the surface of the sintered component which is subjected to a hardening, are at least partially filled with a filling agent.

A method for low-temperature interstitial case formation on a self-passivating metal workpiece includes exposing the workpiece in a heated gaseous environment comprising oxygen to pyrolysis products of a nonpolymeric reagent comprising nitrogen and carbon.

Metal components subject to wear or contact fatigue in a first area, and subject to bending, axial and/or torsional stress loading in a second area comprise a surface hardened, first surface layer in the first area, and a surface compressive-stress treated, second surface layer in the second area. The second surface layer has a material hardness different from, and typically lower than, the first surface layer, and induced residual compressive stress to improve fatigue strength. Example components described include a gear, a cog, a pinion, a rack, a splined shaft, a splined coupling, a torqueing tool and a nut driving tool. A hybrid manufacturing process is described, including area-selective surface hardening combined with a process to add compressive stress to fatigue failure prone areas.