Abstract: Examples of a system for additive manufacturing are described. The system comprises a powder reservoir for storing the metal powder operatively coupled to a working chamber that includes a powder feeder with a housing that defines an inner cavity with an inlet and a number of nozzles in communication with the inner cavity of the powder feeder defining an outlet of the feeder. The number of nozzles are positioned around a center axis of a generated energy beam. A powder feeder's driver is configured to drive flow of the powder through the nozzles directly into a beam path such that an exact amount of the powder is placed into the beam path to be melted or sintered onto a powder bed.

Abstract: Examples of a laser additive manufacturing system are described. The system comprises a laser configured to generate a laser beam, a fiber optic coupled to the laser to transmit the laser beam to a laser optic head that is coupled to the fiber optic and comprises a focus lens to focus the light beam. The laser optic head is configured to slide along a sliding mechanism in X-direction. A powder feeder is used to continuously move in Y-direction and dispense an uniform layer of powdered material onto a powder bad that is positioned on a build plate of the building chamber. The build plate is configured to move in Z-direction. The light beam generated by the laser is focused using the laser optic head onto a small region of the powder bed where the powdered material is positioned producing small volumes of melt pools that are then cooled and a new layer of powdered material is dispensed over it.

Abstract: Examples of a system for additive manufacturing are described. The system comprises a powder reservoir for storing the metal powder operatively coupled to a working chamber that includes a powder feeder with a housing that defines an inner cavity with an inlet and a number of nozzles in communication with the inner cavity of the powder feeder defining an outlet of the feeder. The number of nozzles are positioned around a center axis of a generated energy beam. A powder feeder's driver is configured to drive flow of the powder through the nozzles directly into a beam path such that an exact amount of the powder is placed into the beam path to be melted or sintered onto a powder bed.

Abstract: Examples of an apparatus for dispensing a powdered material are described. The dispensing apparatus comprises a dispenser with an inlet and a dispensing opening, and a vibrating system that is in communication to the dispenser and which provides a continuing periodic oscillation of the dispenser. The apparatus further comprises a controller in communication with a driver of the vibrating system to control a frequency, amplitude and duration of the vibrations such that the powdered material continuously flows out through the dispensing opening during vibration of the dispenser.

Abstract: A process for distilling an aqueous NPG mixture comprising NPG, a tertiary amine, water and the adduct of tertiary amine and formic acid (amine formate), said distillation being performed in a distillation column, which comprises drawing off a gaseous stream in the upper region of the column and feeding it to two condensers connected in series, the first condenser being operated in such a way that a portion of the gaseous stream is condensed in the first condenser and the second condenser being operated in such a way that the uncondensed portion of the gaseous stream is essentially fully condensed in the second condenser, the condensed stream from the first condenser being recycled fully or partly as reflux into the column.