Abstract: A process for producing sintered pellets made from blends of refractory metal and refractory metal nitride powders were found to have a higher fraction of intra-agglomerate pores than those made from the refractory metal or refractory metal nitride alone resulting in improved capacitor grade powders, anodes and finished capacitors therefrom. The pellet porosity and total intrusion volume maximizes when the mixture is in the 50-75 W/W % refractory metal nitride range. The total pellet pore surface area was found to be relatively independent of refractory metal nitride concentration above 50%. A substrate consisting of a 50/50 or 25/75 W/W % refractory metal/refractory metal nitride powder mixture should produce solid capacitors with higher capacitance recovery and lower ESR.

Abstract: Tungsten powder is mixed with a second powder metal and a binder to be used as small arms projectiles and shot pellets for use in shot guns which is cost effective to produce and which can perform ballistically. Ballistic performance equal to or superior to that of lead would be offered by a material having a specific gravity equal to or greater than lead. The non-toxic projectiles are manufactured in a cost-effective process; yet still produces projectiles and shot pellets that can perform ballistically. This projectile composition can perform substantially as well as lead and lead alloys or better without the need to fabricate the composition from a high temperature molten state which requires large amounts of energy input. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the tungsten powder is blended with iron powder and Portland Cement for constructing projectiles. The tungsten, iron and Portland Cement (W/Fe Portland cement) shot provides a satisfactory substitute for lead shot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling the microstructures of Cu—Cr-based contact materials for vacuum interrupters, in which a heat-resistant element is added to the Cu—Cr-based contact materials to obtain an excellent current interrupting characteristic and voltage withstanding capability, and contact materials manufactured thereby. The method of controlling the microstructures of Cu—Cr-based contact materials includes the steps of mixing a copper powder used as a matrix material, a chromium powder improving an electrical characteristic of the contact material and a heat-resistant element powder making the chromium particles in the matrix material fine to thereby obtain mixed powder, and subjecting the mixed powder to one treatment selected from sintering, infiltration and hot pressing to thereby obtain a sintered product.

Abstract: A titanium-based composite material according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a matrix containing a titanium (Ti) alloy as a major component, and titanium compound particles and/or rare-earth element compound particles dispersed in the matrix, wherein the matrix contains 3.0-7.0% by weight of aluminum (Al), 2.0-6.0% by weight of tin (Sn), 2.0-6.0% by weight of zirconium (Zr), 0.1-0.4% by weight of silicon (Si) and 0.1-0.5% by weight of oxygen (O), the titanium compound particles occupy 1-10% by volume, and the rare-earth element compound particles occupy 3% by volume or less. With this arrangement, it is possible to obtain a titanium material, which is good in terms of the heat resistance, hot working property, specific strength, and so on.

Abstract: This invention relates to powders of substantially spherical particles that consist essentially of at least about 10% by weight rhenium optionally alloyed with up to about 90% by weight tungsten or up to about 60% by weight molybdenum. In one embodiment, the spherical particles have an average diameter of less than about 150 microns, and more preferably, an average diameter within the range of from about 10 to about 50 microns. The powders according to the invention exhibit good flow characteristics and can be used to fabricate components having complicated shapes and configurations using conventional powder metallurgy techniques.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings of the present invention a structural member is formed by iron-phosphorous alloy powder having about 0.01 wt % to 1.2 wt % of phosphorous by weight of the powder. The powder is then pressed to the desired matrix density and copper infiltrated such that copper is present in the amount of 1.96 wt % to 23.08 wt %, by weight of the weight of the structural member. The final density of the structured member is in a range of 6.1 to 8.1 g/cc. The structural member formed using the sintered powder metal of the present invention has superior elongation (as much as 10.3% elongation), impact strength (159 N-m charpy unnotched), tensile strength (530 MPa), and modulus (166 GPa) as compared to standard density powder metal.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing complex shape memory alloy materials is described. The method comprises generating a particulate form of a shape memory alloy, combining the particulate with a binder, molding, heating (which may include the steps of debinding and sintering), and thermo-mechanical processing. The method allows for the formation of complex shape memory alloy materials that exhibit the desirable properties of shape memory alloys, namely shape memory and superelasticity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a steel with a high wear resistance, high hardness and good notched bar impact strength, useful for the manufacture of products, in the use of which at least some of the features are desirable, preferably for the manufacture of tools intended to be used at temperatures up to at least 500 ° C. The steel is produced powder-metallurgically and consists in percent by weight essentially of 0.55-0.65 C, 0.7-1.5 Si, 0.1-1.0 Mn, 3.5-4.5 Cr, 1.5-2.5 Mo, 1.5-2.5 W, 1.2-1.8 V, 0-0.2 Nb, balance iron and impurities in normal amounts. After hardening and tempering the steel contains 1.5-2.5 percent by volume of MC carbides, in which M consists essentially only of vanadium, the carbides being evenly distributed in the steel matrix. The invention also relates to use of the steel, manufacture and products manufactured from the steel.

Abstract: An item of jewelry or decorative article of attractive and original appearance, formed from spheres of sinterable material using a low pressure sintering process such that the spheres retain their individual shapes. The spheres may have diameters in the range 0.1-2.0 mm and may be solid or hollow. Items may be produced using a combination of materials and sphere sizes and may combine elements produced by sintering and by casting. Items of jewelry produced by this method are lighter and more comfortable to wear than those produced by casting.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a niobium sintered body free of reduction in the CV value, a niobium powder for use in the manufacture of the niobium sintered body, and a capacitor using the niobium sintered body. A niobium powder of the present invention has niobium and tantalum, where the tantalum is present in an amount at most of about 700 ppm by mass. A sintered body and a capacitor each is manufactured using the niobium powder.

Abstract: A product having a chromium carbide based cemented carbide composition with a nickel and/or chromium based binder is disclosed. It possesses excellent corrosion resistance in combination with good strength and hardness/abrasion resistance. The average chromium carbide grain size is less than 10 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A method for metal processing is provided in which a cooling atmosphere comprising hydrogen is used for accelerated cooling of a processed metal part in a furnace, resulting in improved properties for the metal part. A sintering furnace is also provided and comprises a means for inhibiting gas flows between a heating zone and a cooling zone of the furnace.

Abstract: An iron-based mixed powder for use in powder metallurgy and excellent in die filling property and compressibility and without segregation, includes an iron-based powder in which alloying powder(s) is adhered to the surface by a binder and, further, a free lubricant. The iron-based powder includes a mixed iron powder of atomized iron powder and reduced iron powder.

Abstract: A method of producing a high-density article is presented comprising selecting one or more primary tungsten-containing constituents with densities greater than 10.0 g/cc and one or more secondary constituents with densities less than 10.0 g/cc, co-milling the mixture of constituents in a high-energy mill to obtain mechanical alloying effects, then processing the resulting powder product by conventional powder metallurgy to produce an article with bulk density greater than 9.0 g/cc.

Abstract: Medium- and high-density articles are formed from melting and casting alloys containing tungsten, iron, nickel and optionally manganese and/or steel. In some embodiments, the articles have densities in the range of 8-10.5 g/cm3, and in other embodiments, the articles have densities in the range of 10.5-15 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the articles are ferromagnetic, and in others the articles are not ferromagnetic. In some embodiments, tungsten forms the largest weight percent of the alloy, and in other embodiments the alloy contains no more than 50 wt % tungsten. In some embodiments, the articles are shell shot.

Abstract: To provide a powder for dust cores capable of improving magnetic properties such as magnetic permeability in a molded compacted powder magnetic core and mechanical properties such as size precision of the molded compacted powder magnetic core and radial crushing strength and, a dust core using the powder. A powder for a dust core contains a ferromagnetic powder, an insulating material containing silicone resin and/or phenol resin, and a lubricant, wherein the lubricant contains aluminum stearate, and a dust core using the powder for a dust core.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the extrusion freeform fabrication of low cost, in situ, metallic foam components having oriented microstructures and improved mechanical properties such as energy absorption and specific stiffness. The present invention relates to the freeform fabrication of metallic foams to form parts having complex geometry that demonstrate superior mechanical properties and energy absorbing capacity.

Abstract: A method for making a heat dissipating tube includes the steps of preparing a copper plate, forming a cylindrical tube with a flat bottom and an open end, inserting a copper bar and copper powder into the cylindrical tube, sintering the copper powder to form porous pyrocrystalline copper, removing the copper bar and thus defining a central hole in the porous pyrocrystalline copper, attaching a cap with an drain hole to the open end to close the open end, filling the cylindrical tube with a heat conducting fluid through the drain hole, and drawing a vacuum inside the cylindrical tube through the drain hole and then sealing the drain hole.

Abstract: A bearing for motorized fuel pumps comprising a graphite-dispersed copper-based sintered alloy which contains 10 to 25% by weight of Zn, 10 to 25% by weight of Ni, 0.1 to 0.9% by weight of P, and 1 to 8% by weight of C, the balance being Cu and unavoidable impurities, and which has a porosity of 5 to 25%, exhibits superior wear resistance to a high-pressure high-speed flow of a fuel.

Abstract: Non-evaporable getter alloys containing zirconium, vanadium, iron, manganese and one or more elements selected among yttrium, lanthanum and Rare Earths are described, having improved features of gas sorption, particularly of nitrogen, with respect to the known getter alloys.