Abstract: A hydrogen containing tank having an inside wall that is uniquely bonded to a hydride core which is a porous hydrogen containing core material. The high hydrogen content capability and high thermal conductivity properties accommodate rapid release and intake of hydrogen gas. Low temperatures and high hydrogen charging discharging rates help to alleviate the use of hydrogen as an energy source in numerous applications.

Abstract: A method of producing an aluminum matrix composite material is described that comprises the steps of: mixing an aluminum powder and a ceramic powder to prepare a mixed powder; providing a lower casing made of aluminum and formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open top, and a closing member made of aluminum and formed in a shape adapted to hermetically close the open top of the lower casing; packing the mixed powder into the lower casing; closing the open top of the lower casing filled with the mixed powder, by the closing member, to prepare a pre-rolling assembly having the mixed powder hermetically sealed therein; preheating the pre-rolling assembly; and rolling the preheated assembly to obtain the aluminum matrix composite material, where the aluminum matrix composite material includes a pair of metal plates having the mixed powder therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel self-lubricating solid material; to a method of preparing such a material from a powder mixture; to said powder mixture; and to mechanical parts made of said novel material. Said powder mixture comprises a powder of a metal alloy that is a precursor for the matrix of said material, particles of a first solid lubricant such as CeF3 that are for insertion in said matrix without reacting with said metal alloy, and particles of a second solid lubricant such as WS2 or MoS2 for reacting with a component of said metal alloy during sintering of the powder to form a lubricating phase. Said material can be used for fabricating a bushing that is to receive a root of a variable-pitch vane of an airplane turbojet compressor.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrode used in a solar cell that exhibits good conductivity at the N layer and P layer and to a conductive paste used for producing such an electrode.

Abstract: An economic ferrous sintered multilayer roll-formed bushing, a producing method of the same and a connecting device are provided, in which a ferrous sintered sliding material layer is tightly sintered-bonded to a back metal steel, the ferrous sintered sliding material layer being intended to have low coefficient of friction, having excellent seizing resistance and abrasion resistance and providing self-lubricating property so as to prolong a lubrication interval or eliminate the necessity of lubricating. The ferrous sintered multilayer roll-formed bushing according to the present invention comprises: a back metal steel; a ferrous sintered sliding material layer sinter-bonded to the back metal steel; a diffusion layer of ferrous alloy particle formed at the vicinity of the bonding boundary between the ferrous sintered sliding material layer and the back metal steel; and a Cu alloy phase formed at the vicinity of the bonding boundary and extending in the direction of the bonding boundary.

Abstract: Silicon oxide and electrically conductive doped silicon materials are sintered in a protective environment to yield a composite SiOx:Si material that exhibits the properties of SiOx, and yet is electrically conductive due to the presence of Si. Such a composite material finds many uses, such as a target for DC and/or AC sputtering processes to produce silicon oxide thin films for touch-screen applications, barrier thin films in LCD displays and optical thin films used in a wide variety of applications.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method of making an oxygen scavenging particle comprised of an activating component and an oxidizable component wherein one component is deposited upon the other component from a vapor phase and is particularly useful when the activating component is a protic solvent hydrolysable halogen compound and the oxygen scavenging particle is a reduced metal.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a sintered compact including the steps of mixing raw material powders respectively composed of a chalcogenide element and a Vb group element or raw material powders of an alloy of two or more elements including a chalcogenide element and a Vb group element, and hot pressing the mixed powder under conditions that satisfy the following formula: P(pressure)?{Pf/(Tf?T0)}×(T?T0)+P0(Pf: final pressure, Tf: final temperature, P0: atmospheric pressure, T: heating temperature, T0: room temperature, and temperatures in Celsius). This method is able to produce a high-density, high-strength and large-diameter sintered compact containing a chalcogenide element (A) and a Vb group element (B) or containing the element (A) and (B) and additionally a IVb group element (C) and/or an additive element (D) which is free from cracks even when it is assembled and used as a sputtering target-backing plate assembly.

Abstract: Methods of forming bit bodies for earth-boring bits include assembling green components, brown components, or fully sintered components, and sintering the assembled components. Other methods include isostatically pressing a powder to form a green body substantially composed of a particle-matrix composite material, and sintering the green body to provide a bit body having a desired final density. Methods of forming earth-boring bits include providing a bit body substantially formed of a particle-matrix composite material and attaching a shank to the body. The body is provided by pressing a powder to form a green body and sintering the green body. Earth-boring bits include a unitary structure substantially formed of a particle-matrix composite material. The unitary structure includes a first region configured to carry cutters and a second region that includes a threaded pin. Earth-boring bits include a shank attached directly to a body substantially formed of a particle-matrix composite material.

Abstract: Wear protection sheets containing hard material particles having a metallic shell and solder material particles selected from the group consisting of soft solders, hard solders and high-temperature solders, the use of the wear protection sheets and a process for producing them by tape casting are described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a continuous powder extrusion method for making an article having a profile including an outer shape and optionally including one or more inner hollows. One or more bulk material powders and one or more binders are provided, and the bulk material powders and the binders are mixed to form a mixture. A die is provided, the die optionally including a mandrel having one or more shapes. The mixture is extruded through the die and the optional mandrel to produce a green form. The green form is debound to produce a brown form and the brown form is sintered to produce a densified form. The densified form is optionally processed using thermal, mechanical, and/or thermomechanical processing to produce a wrought form. The densified or wrought form is optionally cut to a length and/or finished using traditional metal finishing processes.

Abstract: Silicon oxide and electrically conductive doped silicon materials are joined in a protective environment to yield a composite SiOx:Si material that exhibits the properties of SiOx, and yet is electrically conductive due to the presence of the Si. Such a composite material finds use as a target for DC and/or AC sputtering processes to produce silicon oxide thin films for touch-screen applications, barrier thin films in LCD displays and optical thin films used in a wide variety of applications.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating bodies of earth-boring tools include mechanically injecting a powder mixture into a mold cavity, pressurizing the powder mixture within the mold cavity to form a green body, and sintering the green body to a desired final density to form at least a portion of a body of an earth-boring tool. For example, a green bit body may be injection molded, and the green bit body may be sintered to form at least a portion of a bit body of an earth-boring rotary drill bit. Intermediate structures formed during fabrication of an earth-boring tool include green bodies having a plurality of hard particles, a plurality of matrix particles comprising a metal matrix material, and an organic material that includes a long chain fatty acid derivative. Structures formed using the methods of fabrication are also disclosed.

Abstract: A pure iron powder of a diameter of 10 to 500 ?m and a purity of 99% by mass or more is heated to a temperature in the range of 600 to 1400° C., and a Si-concentrated layer is formed in regions within a depth of 5 ?m from the surfaces of the powder particles by gas-phase reaction at a temperature of that range. The average Si concentration in the regions within this depth is controlled in the range of 0.05% to 2% by mass. Thus, a dust core metal powder enhancing the adhesion of insulating material to the particle without degrading compressibility is produced. The resulting dust core maintains a high saturation magnetic flux density and exhibits a low iron loss.

Abstract: A method of uniformly dispersing a nano powder throughout a micron powder. Ordinary mixing or agitation does not succeed in attaining uniform dispersal: the nano powder agglomerates into microscopic masses. In one form of the invention, a charge of a micron powder, with fifty weight percent of charge of nanopowder is loaded into a ball mill. The mixture is ball milled for less than two hours, at room temperature in a dry condition, and produces a highly uniform distribution of the nano powder throughout the micron powder.

Abstract: Provided are methods comprising at least one metal powder with an extractable material and a composition comprising a polyol, a hydrophilic polymer, or both in order to form a mixture in which the metal powder and the extractable material assume respective positions. The composition functions as a homogenizing agent that allows the mixture to remain well-mixed for extended periods of time under ambient conditions. Also provided are green bodies and porous constructs, including implants, that are made in accordance with the disclosed methods. The green bodies and porous constructs have a substantially uniform porosity that is at least partially attributable to the ability of the composition to maintain the metal powder and the extractable material in their respective positions prior to sintering.

Abstract: A method for forming a carbide composite that includes providing a mixture of carbide particles and a metallic binder in a container; sintering the container contents at a first processing condition having a pressure of less than about 45,000 psi; and sintering the container contents at a second processing condition having a pressure of greater than about 100,000 psi is disclosed.

Abstract: A blender apparatus (10) comprises an electric motor (11) driving a shaft (12) through a gear box (13). The shaft at a region (14) passes through an upright member (15) of the support structure (16). The shaft at region (14) passes through the upright member by means of a bush or bearing (not shown) suitable to facilitate rotation of the shaft. The rotation of the shaft further drives the holder (17) that is fixable mounted to the shaft such that holder 17 rotates-with the shaft. A powder container (18) is mounted on the holder and secured by a suitable attachment device (19) to ensure that the powder container rotates with the holder during operation. Suitable attachment devices could include a clamping device or a simple elastic strap. The required quantities of metallic and non-metallic powders are poured into the opening (20) in container (18). The body of powder (21) is then sealed into container (18) with a suitable seal (22) before the container is mounted in the holder.

Abstract: The invention provides for a cermet powder containing 75-90% by weight of at least one hard material powder, from 10 to 25% by weight of one or more matrix metal powders and up to 3% by weight of at least one modifier, wherein the matrix metal powder or powders contain from 0 to 38% by weight of cobalt, from 0 to 38% by weight of nickel, from 0 to 20% by weight of aluminum, from 0 to 90% by weight of iron and from 10 to 35% by weight of chromium and the sum of the contents of iron and chromium is in the range from 10 to 95% by weight and the sum of the contents of cobalt, nickel and iron is in the range from 65 to 95% by weight. The invention also relates to a cermet and a process to make the cermet containing the cermet powder and shaped article coated with the cermet powder and a process to make the shaped article.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of material sciences and relates to a metal-ceramic composite with good adhesive strength, such as can be used, for example, for forming tools or cutting tools. The object of the present invention lies in the disclosure of a metal-ceramic composite with good adhesive strength which has a strong and durable bond between ceramic and metal. The object is attained with a metal-ceramic composite with good adhesive strength, comprising a metal component and a ceramic component and which are connected to one another by adhesive force or by adhesive force and in a non-positive manner, wherein silicon, beryllium, titanium, chromium, nickel, manganese, hafnium, vanadium, zirconium, aluminum and/or the organic compounds thereof is present in the area of the connection surfaces and wherein the components have been processed as a greenbody to form a composite and jointly sintered.

Abstract: A method of preparing a titanium-based metal matrix composite component. The method includes combining a titanium alloy-based matrix and a titanium-based ceramic reinforcement to form one or more mixtures, placing the mixture or mixtures into a mold, compacting the mixture or mixtures by shock loading, and sintering the compacted mixture or mixtures. In one form, the various mixtures may include differing levels of reinforcement concentration. In this way, different portions of a component produced by the present method may be made up of different mixtures from other portions of the manufactured component, thereby facilitating tailored mechanical or related structural properties.

Abstract: Valve metal suboxides having a primary suboxide phase and optionally a secondary suboxide phase, a valve metal phase, and/or at least one tertiary suboxide phase can be present in varying amounts. Also disclosed is anodes and capacitors containing the valve metal suboxides of the present invention. Also, a method to prepare a valve metal suboxide is further described which includes granulating one or more of the starting materials individually or together and/or granulating the final product.

Abstract: An element such as Cr is caused to dissolve sufficiently in a base-material metal (Cu) in a solid solution state at a high temperature and a material in a supersaturated condition is obtained by performing quenching. After that, a strain is applied to this material and this material is subjected to aging treatment at a low temperature simultaneously with or after the application of this strain. As a result of this, it is possible to obtain a copper alloy having properties desirable as an electrode material, for example, a hardness of not less than 30 HRB, an electrical conductivity of not less than 85 IACS %, and a thermal conductivity of not less than 350 W/(m·K).

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrode for electrical-discharge surface treatment includes kneading a first electrode material composed of at least one of metal powder and insulating powder and a second electrode material composed of conductive organic bonding agent in which a conductive resin is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, to fabricate a slurry; molding the slurry, to form a compact; and desiccating the compact at a temperature below a thermal decomposition initiating temperature at which a thermal decomposition of the conductive organic bonding agent starts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rare earth magnet, which is formed through at least hot molding, the rare earth magnet containing grains including an R2X14B phase as a main phase, and a grain boundary phase surrounding peripheries of the grains, in which R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb and Ho, and X is Fe or Fe with a part being substituted by Co; in which an element RH is more concentrated in the grain boundary phase than in the grains, in which the element RH is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Tb and Ho; and the element RH is present with a substantially constant concentration distribution from the surface part of the magnet to the central part of the magnet.

Abstract: A compact is obtained from a mixed powder of a multi-component system ceramics composed of constitutive elements of at least two metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Al, V, Nb, Zr, Hf, Mo, Ta, Cr, and W, N, and optionally C; and Fe, Ni, Co, or an alloy composed of a constitutive element of at least one metal element of Fe, Ni, and Co. A composite material is prepared by sintering the compact.

Abstract: A member produced by powder forging which retains machinability and improved fatigue strength without having an increased hardness and can retain self conformability after fracture splitting; a powder mixture for powder forging; a process for producing a member by powder forging; and a fracture splitting connecting rod obtained from the member produced by powder forging. The member produced by powder forging is one obtained by preforming a powder mixture, subsequently sintering the preform, and forging the resultant sintered preform at a high temperature. The free-copper proportion in the sintered preform at the time when the forging is started is 10% or lower, and the member obtained through the forging has a composition containing, in terms of mass %, 0.2-0.4% C, 3-5% Cu, and up to 0.4% Mn (excluding 0), the remainder being iron and incidental impurities, and has a ferrite content of 40-90%.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for producing metal matrix composite (MMC) sheets without intermediate process losses associated with extrusion and rolling edge cracks. The method results in theoretical sheet yield rates from the initial MMC billet of up to 100%, compared to 30 to 60% yield rates for prior-art manufacturing processes. The methods in this invention comprise the following processes: (a) preparing a MMC powder mixture; (b) preparing a frame and a billet consolidation tool; (c) loading and compacting the MMC mixture to form a framed MMC compact; (d) consolidation of the framed MMC compact to form a framed MMC billet; (e) preparing the framed billet to be a framed roll-preform; and (e) rolling the framed roll-preform to MMC sheet.

Abstract: A bit body formed of a mixture of matrix material and superabrasive powder and including pockets lined with superabrasive-free matrix material, and a method for forming the same, are provided. The pockets are shaped to receive cutting elements therein. The superabrasive-free matrix material enhances braze strength when a cutting element is brazed to surfaces of the pocket. The method for forming the drill bit body includes providing a mold and displacements. The displacements are coated with a mixture of superabrasive free matrix-material and an organic binder. The mold is packed with a mixture of matrix material and superabrasive powder and the arrangement heated to form a solid drill bit body. When the solid bit body is removed from the mold, pockets are formed by the displacements in the bit body and are lined with the layer of superabrasive-free matrix material. The superabrasive material may be diamond, polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, SiC or TiB2 in exemplary embodiments.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method of making an oxygen scavenging particle comprised of an activating component and an oxidizable component wherein one component is deposited upon the other component from a vapour phase and is particularly useful when the activating component is a protic solvent hydrolysable halogen compound and the oxygen scavenging particle is a reduced metal.

Abstract: A quasi-monolithic cylinder crankcase is provided that is cast in a metal permanent mold for an internal combustion engine having an infiltration body penetrating the cylinder crankcase, wherein the infiltration body is composed of an inductively welded, open-cell metal foam.

Abstract: A method of making a degradable alloy includes adding one or more alloying products to an aluminum or aluminum alloy melt; dissolving the alloying products in the aluminum or aluminum alloy melt, thereby forming a degradable alloy melt; and solidifying the degradable alloy melt to form the degradable alloy. A method for manufacturing a product made of a degradable alloy includes adding one or more alloying products to an aluminum or aluminum alloy melt in a mould; dissolving the one or more alloying products in the aluminum or aluminum alloy melt to form a degradable alloy melt; and solidifying the degradable alloy melt to form the product. A method for manufacturing a product made of a degradable alloy includes placing powders of a base metal or a base alloy and powders of one or more alloying products in a mould; and pressing and sintering the powders to form the product.

Abstract: A magnetic alloy material according to the present invention has a composition represented by Fe100-a-b-cREaAbCoc, where RE is a rare-earth element always including La, A is either Si or Al, 6 at %?a?11 at %, 8 at %?b?18 at %, and 0 at %?c?9 at %, and has either a two phase structure consisting essentially of an ?-Fe phase and an (RE, Fe, A) phase including 30 at % to 90 at % of RE or a three phase structure consisting essentially of the ?-Fe phase, the (RE, Fe, A) phase including 30 at % to 90 at % of RE and an RE(Fe, A)13 compound phase with an NaZn13-type crystal structure. The respective phases have an average minor-axis size of 40 nm to 2 ?m.

Abstract: This iron-based sintered alloy contains 0.05 to 3% by mass of calcium carbonate or 0.05 to 3% by mass of strontium carbonate. As a result, an iron-based sintered alloy having excellent machinability is obtained.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a sheet of semiconductor material is provided. The method includes forming a first layer of silicon powder of at least one semiconductor material, wherein the first layer has a lower surface and an opposite upper surface. The method further includes depositing a second layer across the upper surface of the first layer, wherein the second layer of silicon powder has a melting point that is substantially similar to the melting point of the first layer of silicon powder. The method also includes heating at least one of the first and second layers of silicon powder to initiate a controlled melt of one of the first and second layer of silicon powder and to initiate crystallization of at least one of the first and second layers of silicon powder.

Abstract: A controlled combustion synthesis apparatus comprises an ignition system, a pressure sensor for detecting internal pressure, a nitrogen supply, a gas pressure control valve for feeding nitrogen and exhausting reaction gas, means for detecting the internal temperature of the reaction container, a water cooled jacket, and a cooling plate. A temperature control system controls the temperature of the reaction container by controlling the flow of cooling water supplied to the jacket and the cooling plate in response to the detected temperature. By combustion synthesizing, while controlling the internal pressure and temperature, the apparatus can synthesize a silicon alloy including 30-70 wt. % silicon, 10-45 wt. % nitrogen, 1-40 wt. % aluminum, and 1-40 wt % oxygen.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cutting insert green body having undercuts includes providing a die cavity formed in closed top and bottom dies; closing a bottom of the die cavity by a bottom punch accommodated in a punch tunnel formed in the bottom die; filling the die cavity with a pre-determined amount of sinterable powder; moving a top punch towards the die cavity through a punch tunnel formed in the top die; compacting the powder by urging the top and bottom punches towards each other, thereby forming the green body; and moving the top die and punch away from the bottom die and punch, thereby enabling removal of the formed green body. An apparatus for manufacturing a cutting insert green body having undercuts includes top and bottom dies which abut each other and top and bottom punches which slide in their respective dies.

Abstract: The invention concerns a composite material consisting of intermetallic phases and ceramic, in particular in the form of a coating on metallic substrates, as well as an arc wire spraying process for production of the composite material in which the intermetallic phases and the ceramics to be deposited are newly formed during the deposit process from the components of the supplied wires by chemical reaction. The invention further concerns wear resistant layers formed by the composites, tribologic layers and plating or hard-facing materials.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) and methods of fabricating such PDCs. In an embodiment of a “two-step” manufactured PDC, a PDC includes a substrate and a pre-sintered polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table bonded to the substrate. The pre-sintered PCD table includes bonded diamond grains defining interstitial regions. At least a portion of the interstitial regions include at least one material disposed therein selected from a silicon-cobalt alloy, silicon carbide, cobalt carbide, or a mixed carbide of silicon and cobalt. The pre-sintered PCD table lacks an intermediate contaminant region therein that includes at least one type of fabrication by-product generated during the fabrication of the pre-sintered PCD table.

Abstract: A metal matrix composite material of a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) alloy strengthened by nanophase dispersed particles. The low CTE alloy can be an iron-nickel alloy or an iron-nickel-cobalt alloy. The nanophase particles can be a refractory oxide, carbide or nitride. Also disclosed is a method of making a metal matrix composite material in which the nanophase particles are combined with the low CTE alloy to form a metal matrix composite material having the nanophase particles dispersed therein.

Abstract: Metal injection molding methods and feedstocks. Metal injection molding methods include forming a feedstock, molding the feedstock into a molded article, substantially removing a lubricant, a thermoplastic, and an aromatic binder from the molded article, and sintering the molded article into a metal article. In some examples, metal injection molding methods include oxygen reduction methods. In some examples, metal injection molding methods include densification methods. Metal injection molding feedstocks include a lubricant, a thermoplastic, and aromatic binder, and a metal powder.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing bodies formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder by forming an insulating film of an inorganic substance on the surface of particles of a soft magnetic metal powder, compacting and molding the powder, then carrying out a heat treatment to provide a body formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder the method comprising: compacting and molding the powder; then magnetically annealing the powder at a high temperature above the Curie temperature for the soft magnetic metal powder and below the threshold temperature at which the insulating film is destroyed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, such as a vacuum, inert gas, or the like; and then carrying out a further heat treatment at a temperature of from 400° C. to 700° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, such as air, or the like.

Abstract: A method for producing a laminated soft-magnetic sheet is provided by laminating thin soft-magnetic sheets produced by an application method. A change in sheet thickness can be suppressed and variations in the magnetic permeability are small.

Abstract: The disclosed is an ultra-hard composite material. The method for manufacturing the ultra-hard composite material includes mixing a metal carbide powder and a multi-element high-entropy alloy powder to form a mixture, green compacting the mixture, and sintering the mixture to form the ultra-hard composite material. The described multi-element high-entropy alloy consists of five to eleven principal elements, with every principal element occupying a 5 to 35 molar percentage of the alloy.

Abstract: A sliding part in which a surface coverage ratio of copper in the sliding part increases. A bearing which is the sliding part is formed by filling the raw powder into the filling portion of the forming mold, compacting the raw powder to form a powder compact, and sintering the powder compact. A copper-based raw powder is composed of a copper-based flat raw powder having an average diameter smaller than that of an iron-based raw powder and an aspect ratio larger than that of the iron-based raw powder, and a copper-based small-sized raw powder having the average diameter is smaller than that of the copper-based flat raw powder. The copper segregates at the surface of the sliding part. In the bearing in which the copper-based flat powder segregates at the surface, the surface is covered with the copper-based small-sized raw powder that has emerged on the surface, as well as the copper-based flat raw powder, thereby it is possible to increase the surface coverage ratio of copper.

Abstract: A shaped charge liner formed by injection molding, where the liner comprises a powdered metal mixture of a first and second metal. The mixture includes about 50% to about 99% by weight percent of the first metal, about 1% to about 50% by weight percent of a second metal, about 1% to about 50% by weight percent of a third metal. In one embodiment, the first metal comprises tungsten, the second metal may comprise nickel, and the third metal may comprise copper.

Abstract: A method for measuring the temperature at various locations in a furnace adapted to heat-treat a metal part commences by placing one or more devices at various location within the furnace. Each device is an inorganic/metallic skeletal structure residual from firing a mixture of binder and one or more of inorganic or metallic particles at a temperature that chars the binder to form the inorganic/metallic skeletal structure of a determined shape. A physical parameter of the skeletal structure determined shape is monitored after firing of the furnace. Then, the monitored physical parameter is compared to a plot of temperature versus the physical parameter to determine the temperature of the furnace at the various locations.

Abstract: An iron-based powder mixture for powder metallurgy is provided, in which iron-based powder is blended with at least one selected from talc and steatite, and preferably further blended with metallic soap, thereby when a compacted body is sintered, furnace environment is not adversely affected, and excellent compaction performance is achieved even in a low temperature range of less than 100° C., and more preferably, an obtained sintered body has excellent machining performance.

Abstract: A method of applying a physical barrier to suppress thermal decomposition near a surface of a thermoelectric material including applying a continuous metal foil to a predetermined portion of the surface of the thermoelectric material, physically binding the continuous metal foil to the surface of the thermoelectric material using a binding member, and heating in a predetermined atmosphere the applied and physically bound continuous metal foil and the thermoelectric material to a sufficient temperature in order to promote bonding between the continuous metal foil and the surface of the thermoelectric material. The continuous metal foil forms a physical barrier to enclose a predetermined portion of the surface. Thermal decomposition is suppressed at the surface of the thermoelectric material enclosed by the physical barrier when the thermoelectric element is in operation.

Abstract: The structural integrity of a metal powder body during heat treatment is enhanced by the in situ formation of metal nanoparticles. The nanoparticles bond to one another and to the metal powder particles of the powder body during heat treatment to provide strength to the powder body prior to the operation of the physical phenomena which transform the powder body into a coherent article. The precursor or precursors from which the nanoparticles are derived are preferably metal salts which are added to the powder or powder body in the form of a solution. The use of conventional binders is optional.