Argon

Example 5

Three sets of samples were prepared with polyamide 12 from RTP. 10,000 cSt PDMS, 23 wt % polyamide 12 relative to the weight of PDMS and polyamide combined, 1 wt % AEROSIL® R812S silica nanoparticles relative to the weight of the polyamide, and optionally surfactant (wt % relative to the weight of the polyamide) were placed in a glass kettle reactor. The headspace was purged with argon and the reactor was maintained under positive argon pressure. The components were heated to over 220° C. over about 60 minutes with 300 rpm stirring. At temperature, the rpm was increased to 1250 rpm. The process was stopped after 90 minutes and allowed to cool to room temperature while stirring. The resultant mixture was filtered and washed with heptane. A portion of the resultant particles was screened (scr) through a 150-μm sieve. Table 3 includes the additional components of the mixture and properties of the resultant particles.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are the volume density particle size distribution for the particles screened and not screened, respectively.

This example illustrates that the inclusion of surfactant and the composition of said surfactant can be another tool used to tailor the particle characteristics.

Example 1

95 g of manganese (purity: 99.95%; purchased from Taewon Scientific Co., Ltd.) and 5 g of high-purity graphite (purity: 99.5%; purchased from Taewon Scientific Co., Ltd.) were placed in a water-cooled copper crucible of an argon plasma arc melting apparatus (manufactured by Labold AG, Germany, Model: vacuum arc melting furnace Model LK6/45), and melted at 2,000 K under an argon atmosphere. The melt was cooled to room temperature at a cooling rate of 10⁴ K/min to obtain an alloy ingot. The alloy ingot was crushed to a particle size of 1 mm or less by hand grinding. Thereafter, the obtained powders were magnetically separated using a Nd-based magnet to remove impurities repeatedly, and the Mn₄C magnetic powders were collected. The collected Mn₄C magnetic powders were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis (measurement system: D/MAX-2500 V/PO, Rigaku; measurement condition: Cu—K_α ray) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) using FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, MIRA3 LM).

FIGS. 2(a) and 2 (b) show an X-ray diffraction pattern and an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy graph of the Mn₄C magnetic material produced according to Example 1 of the present disclosure, respectively.

As can be seen in FIG. 2(a), the Mn₄C magnetic material showed diffraction peaks of (111), (200), (220), (311) and (222) crystal planes at 2θ values of 40°, 48°, 69°, 82° and 88°, respectively, in the XRD analysis. Thus, it can be seen that the XRD patterns of the Mn₄C magnetic material produced according to Example 1 are well consistent with the patterns of the cubic perovskite Mn₄C. In addition, the Mn₄C magnetic material shows several very weak diffraction peaks that can correspond to Mn₂₃C₆ and Mn. That is, the diffraction peak intensity at 2θ values of 43° and 44°, which correspond to Mn and Mn₂₃C₆ impurities, is as very low as about 2.5% of the diffraction intensity of the peak corresponding to the (111) plane. Through this, it can be seen that the powders obtained in Example 1 have high-purity Mn₄C phase. The lattice parameter of the Mn₄C is estimated to be about 3.8682 Å.

FIG. 2(b) shows the results of analyzing the atomic ratio of Mn:C in the powder by EDS. The atomic ratio of Mn:C is 80.62:19.38, which is very close to 4:1 within the experimental uncertainties. Thus, it can be seen that the powder is also confirmed to be Mn₄C.

The M-T curve of the field aligned Mn₄C powder obtained in Example 1 was measured under an applied field of 4 T and at a temperature ranging from 50 K to 400 K. Meanwhile, the M-T curve of the randomly oriented Mn₄C powder was measured under an applied field of 1 T. The Curie temperature of Mn₄C was measured under 10 mT while decreasing temperature from 930 K at a rate of 20 K/min.

FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) show the M-T curves of the Mn₄C magnetic material, produced according to Example 1 of the present disclosure, under magnetic fields of 4 T, 1 T, and 10 mT, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows magnetization-temperature (M-T) curves indicating the results of measuring the temperature-dependent magnetization intensity of the Mn₄C magnetic material, produced in Example 1, using the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) mode of Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS®) (Quantum Design Inc.).

According to the Néel theory, the ferrimagnets that contain nonequivalent substructures of magnetic ions may have a number of unusual forms of M-T curves below the Curie temperature, depending on the distribution of magnetic ions between the substructures and on the relative value of the molecular field coefficients. The anomalous M-T curves of Mn₄C, as shown in FIG. 3(a), can be explained to some extent by the Néel's P-type ferrimagnetism, which appears when the sublattice with smaller moment is thermally disturbed more easily. For Mn₄C with two sublattices of Mn_I and Mn_II, as shown in FIG. 1, the Mn_I sublattice might have smaller moment.

FIG. 3(a) shows the temperature dependence of magnetization of the Mn₄C magnetic material produced in Example 1. The magnetization of Mn₄C measured at 4.2K is 6.22 Am²/kg (4 T), corresponding to 0.258μ_B per unit cell. The magnetization of the Mn₄C magnetic material varies little at temperatures below 50 K, and is quite different from that of most magnetic materials, which undergo a magnetization deterioration with increasing temperature due to thermal agitation. Furthermore, the magnetization of the Mn₄C magnetic material increases linearly with increasing temperature at temperatures above 50 K. The linear fitting of the magnetization of Mn₄C at 4 T within the temperature range of 100 K to 400 K can be written as M=0.0072T+5.6788, where M and T are expressed in Am²/kg and K, respectively. Thus, the temperature coefficient of magnetization of Mn₄C is estimated to be about ˜2.99*10⁻⁴μ_B/K per unit cell. The mechanisms of the anomalous thermomagnetic behaviors of Mn₄C may be related to the magnetization competition of the two ferromagnetic sublattices (Mn_I and Mn_II) as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3(b) shows the M-T curves of the Mn₄C powders at temperatures within the range of 300 K to 930 K under 1 T. The linear magnetization increment stops at 590 K, above which the magnetization of Mn₄C starts to decrease slowly first and then sharply at a temperature of about 860 K. The slow magnetization decrement at temperatures above 590 K is ascribed to the decomposition of Mn₄C, which is proved by further heat-treatment of Mn₄C as described below.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the saturation magnetization of Mn₄C increases linearly with increasing temperature within the range of 50 K to 590 K and remains stable at temperatures below 50 K. The increases in anomalous magnetization of Mn₄C with increasing temperature can be considered in terms of the Néel's P-type ferrimagnetism. At temperatures above 590 K, the Mn₄C decomposes into Mn₂₃C₆ and Mn, which are partially oxidized into the manganosite when exposed to air. The remanent magnetization of Mn₄C varies little with temperature. The Curie temperature of Mn₄C is about 870 K. The positive temperature coefficient (about 0.0072 Am²/kgK) of magnetization in Mn₄C is potentially important in controlling the thermodynamics of magnetization in magnetic materials.

The Curie temperature T_e of Mn₄C is measured to be about 870 K, as shown in FIG. 3(c). Therefore, the sharp magnetization decrement of Mn₄C at temperatures above 860 K is ascribed to both the decomposition of Mn₄C and the temperature near the Tc of Mn₄C.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the magnetic hysteresis loops of the Mn₄C magnetic material, produced according to Example 1 of the present disclosure, at 4.2 K, 200 K and 400 K. The magnetic hysteresis loops were measured by using the PPMS system (Quantum Design) under a magnetic field of 7 T while the temperature was changed from 4 K to 400 K.

As shown in FIG. 4, the positive temperature coefficient of magnetization was further proved by the magnetic hysteresis loops of Mn₄C as shown in FIG. 4. The Mn₄C shows a much higher magnetization at 400 K than that at 4.2 K. Moreover, the remanent magnetization of Mn₄C varies little with temperature and is Δ3.5 Am²/kg within the temperature range of 4.2 K to 400 K. The constant remanent magnetization of Mn₄C within a wide temperature range indicates the high stability of magnetization against thermal agitation. The coercivities of Mn₄C at 4.2 K, 200 K, and 400 K were 75 mT, 43 mT, and 33 mT, respectively.

The magnetic properties of Mn₄C measured are different from the previous theoretical results. A corner Mn_I moment of 3.85μ_B antiparallel to three face-centered Mn_II moments of 1.23μ_B in Mn₄C was expected at 77 K. The net moment per unit cell was estimated to be 0.16μ_B. In the above experiment, the net moment in pure Mn₄C at 77 K is 0.26μ_B/unit cell, which is much larger than that expected by Takei et al. It was reported that the total magnetic moment of Mn₄C was calculated to be about 1μ_B, which is almost four times larger than the 0.258μ_B per unit cell measured at 4.2 K, as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the temperature-dependent XRD patterns of the Mn₄C magnetic material produced according to Example 1 of the present disclosure.

The thermomagnetic behaviors of Mn₄C are related to the variation in the lattice parameters of Mn₄C with temperature. It is known that the distance of near-neighbor manganese atoms plays an important role in the antiferro- or ferro-magnetic configurations of Mn atoms. Ferromagnetic coupling of Mn atoms is possible only when the Mn—Mn distance is large enough. FIG. 5 shows the diffraction peaks of the (111) and (200) planes of Mn₄C at temperatures from 16 K to 300 K. With increasing temperature, both (111) and (200) peaks of Mn₄C shifted to a lower degree at temperatures between 50 K and 300 K, indicating an enlarged distance of Mn—Mn atoms in Mn₄C. No peak shift is obviously observed for Mn₄C at temperatures below 50 K. The distance of nearest-neighbor manganese atoms plays an important role in the antiferro- or ferro-magnetic configurations of Mn atoms and thus has a large effect on the magnetic properties of the compounds.

Thus, it can be seen that the abnormal increase in magnetization of Mn₄C with increasing temperature occurs due to the variation in the lattice parameters of Mn₄C with temperature.

The powder produced in Example 1 was annealed in vacuum for 1 hour at each of 700 K and 923 K, and then subjected to X-ray spectroscopy, and the results thereof are shown in FIG. 6.

The magnetization reduction of Mn₄C at temperatures above 590 K is ascribed to the decomposition of Mn₄C, which is proved by the XRD patterns of the powders after annealing Mn₄C at elevated temperatures. FIG. 6 shows the structural evolution of Mn₄C at elevated temperatures. When Mn₄C is annealed at 700 K, a small fraction of Mn₄C decomposes into a small amount of Mn₂₃C₆ and Mn. The presence of manganosite is ascribed to the spontaneous oxidation of the Mn precipitated from Mn₄C when exposed to air after annealing. The fraction of Mn₂₃C₆ was enhanced significantly for Mn₄C annealed at 923 K, as shown in FIG. 6.

These results prove that the metastable Mn₄C decomposes into stable Mn₂₃C₆ at temperatures above 590 K. The presence of Mn₄C in the powder annealed at 923 K indicates a limited decomposition rate of Mn₄C, from which the Tc of Mn₄C can be measured. Both Mn₂₃C₆ and Mn are weak paramagnets at ambient temperature and elevated temperatures. Therefore, the magnetic transition of the Mn₄C magnetic material at 870 K is ascribed to the Curie point of the ferrimagnetic Mn₄C.

The Mn₄C shows a constant magnetization of 0.258μ_B per unit cell below 50 K and a linear increment of magnetization with increasing temperature within the range of 50 K to 590 K, above which Mn₂₃C₆ precipitates from Mn₄C. The anomalous M-T curves of Mn₄C can be considered in terms of the Néel's P-type ferrimagnetism.

Example 4

3D design software and 3D drawing software were used to construct a 3D cylinder model with a diameter of 40 mm and a height of 15 mm, which was converted into an STL file and imported into SLM building software. The model was auto-sliced by the software and imported into an SLM printing system. After heating the substrate to 150° C., the René 104 nickel-based superalloy powder was added to a powder supply tank and then laid. Argon was introduced into the working chamber until the oxygen content was less than 0.1%. Then the printing procedure was carried out, and the steps of laying the powder and scanning the powder by laser were repeated until the printing was completed to obtain a cylinder.

The René 104 nickel-based superalloy powder has a particle size of 15-53 μm, a D₁₀ of 17.5 μm, a D₅₀ of 29.3 μm, and a D₉₀ of 46.9 μm.

The process parameters for SLM are as follows: a laser power of 250 W, a spot diameter of 0.12 mm, a scanning speed of 500 mm/s, a scanning pitch of 0.12 mm, and a thickness of the laid powder layer being 0.03 mm.

The scanning strategy for SLM is a stripe scanning strategy. In the stripe scanning strategy, a layer-by-layer scanning method from bottom to top is adopted, the laser scanning direction is rotated by 67° between adjacent layers, the stripe width is 5 mm, and the overlap between stripes is 0.10 mm. (no contour+solid scanning method is adopted)

The stress relief annealing parameters are as follows: a temperature of 420° C. held for 90 min, and cooling within the furnace.

The SPS parameters are as follows: a graphite mold with a diameter of 40 mm, a heating rate of 60° C./min, a cooling rate of 60° C./min, a sintering pressure of 45 MPa, and a sintering temperature of 1020° C. held for 15 min.

Before and after post-treatments of the fabricated parts, the densities are 98.34% and 99.02%, respectively, and the mechanical properties at room temperature are 987 MPa and 1065 MPa.