Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part, the composite component comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, said method comprising the steps of: providing a porous ceramic preform of the component, providing a metallic material, heating the metallic material to a temperature higher than the melting point of the metallic material, filling the pores of the ceramic preform with the molten metallic material, cooling the metallic material and the ceramic preform to obtain a solidified metallic material in the pores of the ceramic preform, and applying finishing treatments to obtain the composite component, wherein said porous ceramic preform consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si3N4, SiO2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part, the composite component comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, said method comprising the steps of: providing a porous ceramic preform of the component, providing a metallic material, heating the metallic material to a temperature higher than the melting point of the metallic material, filling the pores of the ceramic preform with the molten metallic material, cooling the metallic material and the ceramic preform to obtain a solidified metallic material in the pores of the ceramic preform, and applying finishing treatments to obtain the composite component, wherein said porous ceramic preform consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si3N4, SiO2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

Abstract: A composition and a method for powder injection moulding are provided. The composition includes a powder and a binder. The binder includes an alkane-based primary main binder and a multifunctional secondary main binder. The alkane-based primary main binder composes 20 mass % or more of the binder. The multifunctional secondary main binder is at least partially soluble in the alkane-based primary binder, is soluble in water, is thermally evaporable, possesses a dispersant functionality towards the powder, and increases a feedstock viscosity of the composition at a near zero feedstock shear rate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part, the composite component including a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of the ceramic part, including providing a porous ceramic preform of the component, providing a metallic material, heating the metallic material to a temperature higher than the melting point of the metallic material, filling the pores of the ceramic preform with the molten metallic material, cooling the metallic material and the ceramic preform to obtain a solidified metallic material in the pores of the ceramic preform, and applying finishing treatments to obtain the composite component, wherein the porous ceramic preform consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si3N4, SiO2 and mixtures thereof, and the metallic material is gold, platinum, palladium metals or alloys of these metals.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the field of technology known as powder injection moulding. It includes producing a part by powder injection moulding at low to high injection pressure and it discloses a novel binder system for optimized feedstock design. The primary subject matter of the invention resides in introducing a secondary main binder into the feedstock binder composition, meeting, simultaneously, the five (5) following criteria: partially soluble in the primary binder, soluble in water, thermally evaporable, possessing a dispersant functionality and increasing the viscosity at near zero feedstock shear rate. In addition to this binder, the feedstock may contain a small fraction of another dispersant and a back-bone polymer when needed, depending on the type of powder material used for the feedstock. Based on the main modes of binder removal (thermal or water extraction) this novel binder system is denominated as Te-Wex™ system.

Abstract: A device including an injection molding tool for use once or a few times for producing a sinterable ceramic and/or metallic product. The device includes at least one first tool part. At least one second tool part is combinable with the at least one first tool part to form a molding space for the product. The second tool part is produced using a wet composition and is made of a readily worked and form-stable material containing pores and admixed heat-conducting particles. A wet composition-enclosing member can engage the first tool part during the production of the second tool part. A unit can be connected to the at least one second tool part and can be arranged with the at least one first tool part for absorbing internal lateral displacement forces arising during squeezing or injection of an injection molding composition.

Abstract: A new group of ceramic composite materials containing silicon oxynitride (Si.sub.2 N.sub.2 O, O'-phase) and zirconium oxide (ZrO.sub.2) can be prepared using a thermal reaction between zirconium silicate (ZrSiO.sub.4) and silicon nitride powder (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) supplied completely or partly as silicon powder (Si) which is nitrided to Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere. By adding aluminium oxide or the like, composite compositions with ZrO.sub.2, O'-phase and sialons (silicon aluminium oxynitrides) as main components can be obtained. In the method according to this invention, the raw powder material is prepared, e.g. by concurrent milling and blending to submicron particle size, formed by known technique into a compact, nitrided and sintered to the desired density in nitrogen-containing atmosphere.

Abstract: Process for the production of moulded bodies of materials based on silicon nitride, where the powder mix prepared by way of initial material contains silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4), a high proportion, preferably 40-85 percent by weight, of silicon (Si) and a sintering aid. With conventional sintering the above powder mix is advantageously prepared by grinding of an Si-powder dispersed in an Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 powder the grain size of which is considerably lower than that of the Si-powder. The process covers in the main the production of a body moulded from this powder mix by known moulding methods, nitriding of the Si-content to Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and sintering of the moulded body to a final required density.