Abstract: A thermoelectric material having a high Seeback coefficient and a large power factor and excellent in shock resistance, thermal strain resistance, and formability, and a thermoelectric element are disclosed. The thermoelectric material and thermoelectric element is composed of a multilayered body made up of a laminar body of a semimetal, a metal, or a synthetic resin and a laminar body of a semimetal. The average thickness of the laminar bodies ranges from 0.3 nm to 1000 nm. Embodiments of the combination of the laminar bodies are Bi—Al, Bi-polyamide series resin, and Ag—Fe. Such a multilayered body is manufactured by forming an initial multilayered body composed of all the types of laminar bodies constituting the multilayered body and rolling or uniaxially pressing a stack of such initial multilayered bodies.

Abstract: An article essentially consisting of one or more of Ti-Al intermetallic compounds is fabricated so as to have a volume ratio of voids of 0.2 to 3.5% and a maximum size of voids less than 50 .mu.m, by preparing a mixture of materials selected from a group consisting of Ti, Ti alloys, Al, Al alloys, and Ti-Al compounds, having a composition suitable for forming a desired Ti-Al intermetallic compound, and heating the mixture so that the mixture may be sintered. Typically, the temperature and pressure for the heating or sintering process, and the particle size of the material are appropriately selected so that a desired porosity and a desired range of void sizes may be obtained. The mechanical strength of the article according to the present invention is not only improved (as compared to the conventional Ti-Al intermetallic compounds) but is highly predictable, or, in other words, highly reliable.

Abstract: An article essentially consisting of one or more of Ti--Al intermetallic compounds is fabricated so as to have a volume ratio of voids no more than 3.5%, by preparing a mixture of materials selected from a group consisting of Ti, Ti alloys, Al, Al alloys, and Ti--Al compounds, having a composition suitable for forming a desired Ti--Al intermetallic compound, and heating said mixture so that said mixture may be sintered. Typically, the temperature and pressure for the heating or sintering process is appropriately selected so that the desired porosity may be obtained. The mechanical strength of an article according to the present invention is not only improved but is highly predictable, or, in other word, highly reliable. The fabrication costs can be reduced because the fabrication process involves only relatively low temperatures when pressing and heating the work at the same time.

Abstract: An article essentially consisting of one or more of Ti-Al intermetallic compounds is fabricated so as to have a volume ratio of voids no more than 3.5%, by preparing a mixture of materials selected from a group consisting of Ti, Ti alloys, Al, Al alloys, and Ti-Al compounds, having a composition suitable for forming a desired Ti-Al intermetallic compound, and heating said mixture so that said mixture may be sintered. Typically, the temperature and pressure for the heating or sintering process is appropriately selected so that the desired porosity may be obtained. The mechanical strength of an article according to the present invention is not only improved but is highly predictable, or, in other word, highly reliable. The fabrication costs can be reduced because the fabrication process involves only relatively low temperatures when pressing and heating the work at the same time.

Abstract: A method for forming non-equilibrium and/or metastable metallic or non-metallic powder, foil or fine wire material into a solid body comprises charging the material into a metal container, subjecting the metal container containing the material to rolling at a temperature at which the inherent properties of the material are maintained, and thereafter removing the metal container.

Abstract: Crude silicon is purified by melting the crude silicon, maintaining the molten silicon above the solidification temperature thereof in an inert gas atmosphere, and rotating a hollow rotary cooling member as immersed in the molten silicon while introducing a cooling fluid into the cooling member to cause high-purity silicon to crystallize on the outer surface of the cooling member.

Abstract: Diamond powder is produced without using an ultra-high pressure apparatus by a process comprising melting carbon and a metal capable of dissolving carbon to form a liquid, subjecting the liquid to quenching at an ultra-high cooling rate to form an amorphous metal, heating the amorphous metal at a predetermined temperature to precipitate diamond crystals from the amorphous metal and then separating the phase of the amorphous metal other than the diamond to obtain diamond powder.

Abstract: To obtain a high-purity aluminum fraction from aluminum containing both eutectic impurities and peritectic impurities, the contents of these impurities in the original aluminum are reduced by melting the original aluminum to obtain molten aluminum, adding boron to the molten aluminum, and rotating a cooling body as immersed in the boron-containing molten aluminum while introducing a cooling fluid to the interior of the body to crystallize high-purity aluminum on the surface of the body. The peritectic impurities react with the boron to form metallic borides, which are centrifugally forced away from the cooling body by the rotation of the body without being incorporated into the aluminum crystallized on the surface of the body. The eutectic impurities are removed from the crystallized aluminum on the surface based on the principle of segregation.

Abstract: In melting aluminum containing impurities which form a eutectic with the aluminum and solidifying the molten aluminum by cooling, the aluminum is purified by breaking down dendrites extending from the liquid-solid interface into the liquid phase to release impurities from between the dendrites or between the branches of the dendrites, and dispersing the released impurities in the entire body of the liquid phase.