Firearm projectiles and methods of manufacturing firearm projectiles from a supply of clad wire. In some embodiments, the clad wire is manufactured as electrical wire, such as copper-clad steel wire. Bullets and shot, as well as methods of forming bullets and shot, from clad wire are disclosed.

The invention provides methods for producing varying sizes and types of small firearm cartridge cases using earlier produced cartridge cases as work stock. The preexisting cartridge cases are subjected to a number of machining operations to obtain the desired different sizes and/or types of cartridge cases. The invention considerably shortens the production cycle and substantially decreases the costs of production versus the conventional method of manufacturing new cartridge cases.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the delaboration of ammunition, in particular shells having a housing with a tubular housing portion made of steel and open at one end, a cone made of ductile metal and fitted into the tubular housing portion, the cone having a base with a tubular rim, and an explosive charge contained between the housing and the cone. The method comprises a) inserting an extraction tool through the open end into the tubular housing portion for extracting the cone, b) axially compressing the tubular rim of the cone between the extraction tool and the explosive charge, c) deforming a portion of the tubular rim into a form fit with the extraction tool, d) withdrawing the extraction tool from the housing portion, and e) at least partially withdrawing the cone from the housing portion together with the extraction tool.

A blast treatment method capable of more reliably treating an object to be treated which is accommodated in an outer container is provided. The blast treatment method includes: a step for spacing a plurality of blasting explosives (20) from one another at positions on the outer side surface of an outer container (60) in a direction surrounding a central axis (C2) of the outer container (60) and arranging the blasting explosives (20) in such a manner as to extend approximately parallel to the central axis (C2); a step for installing the outer container (60) within a chamber (90); and a step for detonating the blasting explosives (20) within the chamber to perform blast treatment of an object (10) to be treated with the detonation energy, wherein the blasting explosives (20) are detonated at the blast timing at which fragments of the outer container (60) or shock waves, which are generated in the vicinity of the blasting explosives (20) by the detonation energy of the blasting explosives (20), collide with or propagate to a bombshell (10) in less time difference than that in the case in which the plurality of blasting explosives (20) are detonated at the same time.

A method of making an ammunition article and associated ammunition article is provided. The ammunition article is interchangeable with standard ammunition articles and to operate in standard chambers of standard weapons systems and of the type having a casing including a sidewall that defines a casing volume within. The method includes determining a desired propellant charge volume for a given ammunition article, determining a thickness of the casing sidewall such that the casing volume substantially corresponds to the desired propellant charge volume, and forming the casing having the determined thickness.

The heat exchanger having a heat exchanging channel (11, 21, 31) comprises an inlet (9) and an outlet (33) for a medium flowing through the heat exchanging channel. The heat exchanger has at least two stages (10, 20, 30) being arranged one after the other in view to the flowing direction of the medium, each stage having a heat exchanging channel (11, 21, 31). The first stage has at least one guiding channel (12) arranged parallel to the heat exchanging channel (11). The heat exchanging channel (11, 21, 31) has at the end of the respective stage (10, 20, 30) at least one outlet (13, 23, 33) and the guiding channel (12, 22) of the respective stage is connected with the heat exchanging channel (21, 31) of the next following stage (20, 30). By this unused heat transfer medium is fed to each stage, said heat transfer medium having a higher temperature difference with respect to the respective heat exchanging channel. By this a good heat transfer efficiency is realized even with relatively long flow pathes.

A heat transport fluid passage device for a heat transport circuit has a wall defining a passage through which a heat transport fluid flows. The heat transport fluid contains a solvent made of water or an organic substance and fine particles dispersed in the solvent. A hydrophobic membrane is formed on a surface of the wall.

Arrangement for circulating liquid in a liquid cooler (11) intended particularly for power electronics appliances, inside which cooler at least two longitudinal main ducts (22, 23) are arranged and transverse ducts (21) arranged between them and connecting them, and in which cooler at least one of the longitudinal ducts is an input duct (22), into which liquid from coming from outside is led via an input joint (12) and one is an output duct (23), from where the liquid is led out via the output joint (13), inside which output duct a tubular additional part (41) having an open end at least on the side of the output joint is installed, and which additional part is arranged detached from the output duct such that a gap remains between the outer surface of the additional part and the inner surface of the output duct for enabling a liquid flow in the output duct outside the additional part, and in which arrangement a first aperture or first apertures (P, N, P2) are arranged in the part of the additional part on the output joint side and/or in the output joint and/or between them for enabling a first path of passage for a part of the nominal total flow to the output joint, and a second aperture or second apertures (T, P1) are arranged in the part of the additional part that is farther from the output joint or between the additional part and the output duct for enabling a second path of passage for the remaining part of the total flow into the additional part and via it onwards to the output joint.

An active/passive system for managing the temperature of fluid within an automatic transmission includes two heat exchangers, an active solenoid valve and a passive wax motor valve. A first heat exchanger provides transmission fluid heating and receives a flow of engine coolant. A second heat exchanger provides transmission fluid cooling and is exposed to ambient air. The solenoid valve which is preferably driven by a signal from a transmission control module (TCM) and the wax motor valve cooperate to provide three states of operation: transmission fluid heating, that is, heat added, cooling, that is, heat removed and pass-through or bypass (without heating or cooling).

A method, system or computer usable program product for providing alerts of inefficiency of an environmental conditioning system including, responsive to a cycle initiation by the environmental conditioning system, measuring a difference between an intake temperature and an outlet temperature after a predetermined period of time, and responsive to the difference being below a minimum level, generating an alert.

A cooling apparatus for an electronics rack is provided which includes a door assembly configured to couple to an air inlet side of the electronics rack. The door assembly includes: one or more airflow openings facilitating passage of airflow through the door assembly and into the electronics rack; one or more air-to-coolant heat exchangers disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening(s) passes across the heat exchanger(s), which is configured to extract heat from airflow passing thereacross; and one or more airflow redistributors disposed in a direction of airflow through the airflow opening(s) downstream of, and at least partially aligned to, the heat exchanger(s). The airflow redistributor(s) facilitates redistribution of the airflow passing across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger(s) to a desired airflow pattern at the air inlet side of the electronics rack, such as a uniform airflow distribution across the air inlet side of the rack.

A method is provided which includes providing a cooling apparatus for an electronics rack which includes a door assembly configured to couple to an air inlet side of the electronics rack. The door assembly includes: one or more airflow openings facilitating passage of airflow through the door assembly and into the electronics rack; one or more air-to-coolant heat exchangers disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening(s) passes across the heat exchanger(s), which is configured to extract heat from airflow passing thereacross; and one or more airflow redistributors disposed in a direction of airflow through the airflow opening(s) downstream of, and at least partially aligned to, the heat exchanger(s). The airflow redistributor(s) facilitates redistribution of the airflow passing across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger(s) to a desired airflow pattern at the air inlet side of the electronics rack, such as a uniform airflow distribution across the air inlet side of the rack.

A new multifunctional, thermoelastic cellular structure is described. The new structure provides tunable thermal transport behaviors particularly important for thermal switching. In its simplest example embodiment of a single or unit cell, opposing bimetallic elements bend in response to temperature changes and, below a tunable switching temperature, are separated in an open or insulating position and, at and above the switching temperature, bend to come into contact in a closed or conducting position. Multiple cells are combined in different lattice arrays to create structures that are both switchable and load bearing. The cells can be switched by both temperature and other external fields.

A supplementary intercooler cools engine air after it has passed through the turbocharger of a vehicle's turbocharged internal combustion engine, but before it enters the engine. The unit has an inlet for capturing the turbo's air charge and an outlet for routing the air charge to the engine after passing through the intercooler. A container stores water until it is needed and a water pump transfers water from the container to the unit. This loosened bond of water is then sprayed on capacitor plates under turbo pressure to be converted into hydrogen and injected into the air intake stream making it a totally “hydrogen-on-demand” intercooler.

Nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) including nanoparticles dispersed with a base phase change material and that exhibit enhanced thermal conductivity in comparison to the base phase change material.

‘Underground Thermal Battery Storage System’ using a battery structure of one or more underground thermally insulated cells, where each cell comprised of a waterproof thermal insulation shell, one or more fluid storage tanks and earth matrix. The thermal storage cell's fluid storage tanks are interconnected using a thermal fluid transport system with control valves, circulating pumps, and managed by a programmable controller. The programmable controller uses the cell sensors to determine cell status, control cell interconnections, and to manage the thermal charging and discharging by exterior heating or cooling devices. A moisture injection system is provided to control the thermal conductivity within the cell's earth matrix.

A construction machine includes: a lower propelling body; and an upper slewing body which is slewably mounted on the lower propelling body. The upper slewing body includes: an engine room provided with an intake opening and a discharge opening; a duct provided in the engine room so as to communicate with the discharge opening; and an exhaust gas pipe which guides exhaust gas discharged from the engine into the duct. The discharge opening and an outlet of the duct are open downward from the engine room. A portion on a distal end side of the exhaust gas pipe is inserted into the duct. The duct and the exhaust gas pipe are configured to cause the exhaust gas to be mixed with cooled air in the duct and cause the mixture of the exhaust gas and the cooled air to be discharged downward from the discharge opening.

A radial-flow plate heat exchanger (5) embedded in the catalytic bed of an isothermal chemical reactor (1) has heat exchange plates (10) comprising fluid passages (13) between a first metal sheet (20) and a second metal sheet (21) joined by perimeter weld seams (23) on a first surface (A) of the plate, a feeding channel (14) and a collecting channel (15) for the heat exchange fluid are formed with suitable metal sheets which are seam welded (25) directly to the opposite surface (B) of the plate, this structure allows the manufacturing of the plate (10) with an automated seam welding process, such as laser beam welding.

A cooling system is operable to facilitate cooling a power module or other electronic assembly. The cooling system may be configured to facilitate cooling a DC/AC inverter or other electronic assembly where two power modules may be arranged in an opposing relationship relative to a coolant passageway. The opposing relationship may be suitable to minimizing a packaging size and footprint required to facilitate interacting both power modules with the coolant flow.

Disclosed herein is a heat dissipation system for a power module, including: first cooling medium flow parts and second cooling medium flow parts allowing cooling media to flow in first and second directions, respectively.

An operation management apparatus includes an air conditioning thermal load prediction unit configured to calculate an air conditioning thermal load predicted value indicating a predicted amount of heat required to adjust temperature to a pre-set temperature on a day-of-prediction, a power generation output prediction processing unit configured to calculate power generation output prediction data indicating a generated power obtained by a generator within the day-of-prediction, and an operation planning unit configured to prepare an air conditioning heat source operation plan, and determines a purchased power and the generated power using the power generation output prediction data to thereby prepare a power facility operation plan indicating a schedule of a power output from the purchased power source and the generator, so that the purchased power per predetermined time supplied from a purchased power source of a commercial power system becomes a target value.

Embodiments for a charge air cooler are provided. In one example, an engine method comprises increasing intake air flow velocity through a charge air cooler in response to an estimated condensation formation value within the charge air cooler. In this way, condensation accumulation within the charge air cooler may be prevented.

A heat transfer device including a container in which a heat-transfer fluid circulates in a closed loop. The heat transfer fluid is capable of undergoing an increase in volume on solidifying. The container further contains particles suspended in the heat-transfer fluid. At least some of the particles are compressible under the pressure of the fluid, as the fluid is solidifying, so as to at least partially compensate for the increase in volume of the fluid upon solidifying.

A heat dissipation module includes a centrifugal fan and a heat pipe. The centrifugal fan includes an outer housing, a heat dissipation fin array, a retaining wall, an impeller and a rotation-driving device. The outer housing includes an axial air inlet, an axial air outlet and a radial air outlet. The heat dissipation fin array is located at an inner wall of the radial air outlet. The retaining wall is located on a flat wall of the outer housing on which the axial air outlet is located. The retaining wall is in contact with an inner wall of an electronic device to collectively form a circulation channel so as to guide airflows output from the axial air outlet through the flat wall with which the heat dissipation fin array is aligned, and into the axial air inlet. The heat pipe is in contact with the heat dissipation fin array.

An apparatus and method for minimizing cold spots on plates of a plate-type fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger averages the plate temperature at a hot-fluid exit plane of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger matrix is constructed to internally vary the flow patterns of opposing hot and cold fluid streams so that the heat transfer coefficient values of one or both fluid streams, designated as h, are optimized so the hot fluid value is a greater value than that of a cold fluid value. Plate variable flow structures are arranged in a manner that allows higher velocity hot fluid flow and possible lower velocity cold fluid flow in areas where the plate temperatures are coolest and the opposite configuration where plate temperatures are hottest.

A regenerative burner device for a furnace and a method of removing contaminants from such a device. The burner device includes a burner for introducing heat and waste gas into a furnace during ignition when supplied with fuel and a combustion gas, a media bed comprising refractory particles, and ducting for delivering combustion gas to said burner during ignition, and for drawing waste gas from said furnace on termination of ignition. The ducting causes the combustion gas and the waste gas to pass in succession through the media bed. Means are provided for periodically delivering a rapid flow of a decontaminating gas into said media bed. The rapid flow is of sufficient force to dislodge contaminants collected in the media bed from said waste gas.

A control system for an HVAC system serving at least two zones, each zone receiving conditioned air by way of a zone duct, each zone duct including a zone damper having a first portion responsive to the static pressure in a HVAC system to open and bleed an amount of conditioned air past the damper when the static pressure of the system increases above a selected level, a second portion controlled by a actuator to move between an open and a closed position in response to a zone thermostat, and a coupling mechanism coupling the first and second portions to limit the relative movements of the two portions with respect to each other, and a biasing mechanism exerting a torque against the system static pressure differential. The first portion can be a single one-piece undivided blade pivotally mounted with a shell surrounding the zone damper.

An apparatus for passively cooling electronics. The apparatus for passively cooling electronics includes at least one heat pipe and at least one heat sink thermally coupled to a bridge plate. When a cradle is thermally coupled to the at least one heat pipe, the at least one heat sink draws heat from the cradle.

Dehumidifying cooling apparatus and method are provided for an electronics rack. The apparatus includes an air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed at an air inlet or outlet side of the rack and positioned for air passing through the electronics rack to pass across the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is in fluid communication with a coolant loop for passing coolant therethrough at a temperature below a dew point temperature of the air passing across the heat exchanger so that air passing across the heat exchanger is dehumidified and cooled. A condensate collector, disposed below the heat exchanger, collects liquid condensate from the dehumidifying of air passing through the electronics rack, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of sloped surfaces configured to facilitate drainage of liquid condensate from the heat exchanger to the condensate collector.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for treating air by using porous organic-inorganic hybrid materials as an absorbent, which comprises an inlet passage for receiving air from outside; a dehumidifying part comprising porous organic-inorganic hybrid materials as an adsorbent for removing moisture from the air receiving through the inlet passage; a regenerating unit for regenerating the adsorbent of the dehumidifying part; and an outlet passage for discharging the dehumidified air to outside. Said apparatus preferably comprises two dehumidifying parts of two-bed switching type and two switch valves, wherein said two dehumidifying parts are alternatively operated for dehumidification and for regeneration by switching said switch valves to convert direction of air flow.

The thermal energy storage material (TESM) system includes a container having a wall surface, and a TESM in at least partial contact with the wall surface. The TESM may include, consist essentially of, or consist of a metal containing compound comprising lithium, one or more different metal cations (i.e., different from lithium) and one or more polyatomic anions. The TESM may have a liquidus temperature, TL, from about 100° C. to about 250° C. The TESM may exhibits a heat storage density from 1 MJ/l to 1.84 MJ/l, as measured from 300° C. to 80° C. The TESM system may be free of water. If any water is present in the TESM system, the water concentration preferably is less than 10 wt. %. Preferably, the TESM system is generally resistant to corrosion at temperatures of about 300° C.

Includes a low flow-rate region (R2) that is disposed on an upstream side of a combustion region (R1) within a second pipe (2), and that has a relatively slow flow-rate of combustion gas (G1) within the second pipe, and a flame kernel formation unit (3a) is disposed in the low flow-rate region.

A semiconductor substrate for use in an integrated circuit, the semiconductor substrate including a channel defined on a surface of the substrate. The channel includes a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall. The first wall is recessed from the surface. The second wall extends from the surface to the first wall. The third wall extends from the surface to the first wall and faces the second wall across the channel. At least one of the second wall and the third wall includes a plurality of structures projecting into the channel from the second wall or the third wall.

Disclosed herein are various systems and methods relating to communication devices that include modular transceivers, such as small form pluggable transceivers. According to one embodiment, a communication device may include a chassis defining an interior and an exterior of the communication device. The chassis includes a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides that together with the top and the bottom form an enclosure. One of the sides may include a first segment disposed in a first plane and a second segment disposed in a second plane. The second segment includes an outwardly extending communication transceiver housing configured to receive a communication transceiver. The communication transceiver may extend through an aperture in the second segment and into interior of the communication device to contact an electrical connector, while a second portion of the communication transceiver in the communication transceiver housing remains on the exterior of the communication device.

A cooling apparatus for an electronics rack is provided which includes a door assembly coupled to the electronics rack at an inlet or air outlet side of the rack. The door assembly includes: an airflow opening configured to facilitate ingress or egress of airflow through the electronics rack with the door assembly mounted to the rack; an air-to-coolant heat exchanger disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening passes across the air-to-coolant heat exchanger, the air-to-coolant heat exchanger being configured to extract heat from the airflow passing thereacross; and a vapor condenser configured to facilitate condensing of dielectric fluid vapor egressing from at least one immersion-cooled electronic component section of the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus, including the door assembly, facilitates air-cooling and immersion-cooling of different electronic components of the electronics rack.

A method is provided which includes providing a cooling apparatus which includes a door assembly coupled to the electronics rack at an inlet or air outlet side of the rack. The door assembly includes: an airflow opening configured to facilitate ingress or egress of airflow through the electronics rack with the door assembly mounted to the rack; an air-to-coolant heat exchanger disposed so that airflow through the airflow opening passes across the air-to-coolant heat exchanger, the air-to-coolant heat exchanger being configured to extract heat from the airflow passing thereacross; and a vapor condenser configured to facilitate condensing of dielectric fluid vapor egressing from at least one immersion-cooled electronic component section of the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus, including the door assembly, facilitates air-cooling and immersion-cooling of different electronic components of the electronics rack.

A silicon-based thermal energy transfer apparatus that aids dissipation of thermal energy from a heat-generating device, such as an edge-emitting laser diode, is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a silicon-based base portion having a first primary surface and a silicon-based support structure. The silicon-based support structure includes a mounting end and a distal end opposite the mounting end with the mounting end received by the base portion such that the support structure extends from the first primary surface of the base portion. The support structure includes a recess defined therein to receive the edge-emitting laser diode. The support structure further includes a slit connecting the distal end and the recess to expose at least a portion of a light-emitting edge of the edge-emitting laser diode when the edge-emitting laser diode is received in the support structure.

Metal nanoparticles having improved migration resistance are provided. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing composite nanoparticles including obtaining composite nanoparticles containing at least silver and copper in a single particle by heat treating a mixture containing an organic silver compound and an organic copper compound at a temperature of 150° C. or more in a non-oxidative atmosphere in the presence of a tertiary amine compound represented by the general formula R1R2R3N (wherein R1 through R3 are optionally substituted alkyl groups or aryl groups that may be the same or different, R1 through R3 may be linked in a ring, and the number of carbon atoms in each of R1 through R3 is 5 through 18 and may be the same or different).

Disclosed herein is a sintered composition comprising iron; about 0.05 to about 1 wt % molybdenum; about 3 to about 4.5 wt % silicon; about 0.05 to about 0.5 wt % chromium; about 0.011 to about 0.015 wt % magnesium; all weight percents being based on the total weight of the composition; the composition being devoid of carbon except for trace amounts; and wherein the composition is sintered. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising blending a powdered composition that comprises iron; about 0.05 to about 1 wt % molybdenum; about 3 to about 4.5 wt % silicon; about 0.05 to about 0.5 wt % chromium; about 0.011 to about 0.015 wt % magnesium; all weight percents being based on the total weight of the composition; the composition being devoid of carbon except for trace amounts; compacting and sintering the composition.

New net shape strength retaining high temperature alloy parts are formed from fine metallurgical powders by mechanically blending the powders and placing them in die, placing a piston in the die, extending the piston into a driving chamber, filling the chamber with CH4 and air and compressing the powders with the filling pressure. Igniting gas in the chamber drives the piston into the cavity, producing pressures of about 85 to 150 tsi, compacting the powders into a near net shape alloy part, ready for sintering at 2300° C. without shrinking. The alloy parts are Re, Mo—Re, W—Re, Re—Hf—HfC, Re—Ta—Hf—HfC, Re—Mo—Hf—HfC, Mo—Re—Ta, Mo—Re-f-HfC, W—Re—Hf—HfC, W—Re—Ta—Hf—HfC or W—Re—Mo—Hf alloys.

Provided is bond coating powder and method of making. The method includes providing a powder including a plurality of parent particles. The method includes providing a plurality of dispersoids. The method includes mechanically alloying the powder and the plurality of dispersoids at ambient temperature. The mechanical alloying operable to provide a selective occupation of the plurality of dispersoids in a grain boundary area of the plurality of parent particles providing the bond coating powder. The plurality of dispersoids occupy about 18 percent to about 30 percent of the grain boundary area of the bond coating powder.

The present invention discloses a hierarchical composite material comprising a ferrous alloy reinforced with titanium carbides according to a defined geometry, in which said reinforced portion comprises an alternating macro-microstructure of millimetric areas concentrated with micrometric globular particles of titanium carbide separated by millimetric areas essentially free of micrometric globular particles of titanium carbide, said areas concentrated with micrometric globular particles of titanium carbide forming a microstructure in which the micrometric interstices between said globular particles are also filled by said ferrous alloy.

The present invention relates to a fine grained WC-Co cemented carbide. By adding an extremely small amount of Ti, V, Zr, Ta or Nb alone or in combinations, a grain refined cemented carbide structure with less abnormal WC-grains has been obtained.

Transient liquid phase sintering compositions comprising one or more high melting point metals and one or more low melting temperature alloys are known in the art as useful compositions for creating electrically and/or thermally conductive pathways in electronic applications. The present invention provides transient liquid phase sintering compositions that employ non-eutectic low melting temperature alloys for improved sintering and metal matrix properties.

Core-shell particles encapsulated by a thin film of a catalytically active metal are described. The particles are preferably nanoparticles comprising a non-noble core with a noble metal shell which preferably do not include Pt. The non-noble metal-noble metal core-shell nanoparticles are encapsulated by a catalytically active metal which is preferably Pt. The core-shell nanoparticles are preferably formed by prolonged elevated-temperature annealing of nanoparticle alloys in an inert environment. This causes the noble metal component to surface segregate and form an atomically thin shell. The Pt overlayer is formed by a process involving the underpotential deposition of a monolayer of a non-noble metal followed by immersion in a solution comprising a Pt salt. A thin Pt layer forms via the galvanic displacement of non-noble surface atoms by more noble Pt atoms in the salt. The overall process is a robust and cost-efficient method for forming Pt-coated non-noble metal-noble metal core-shell nanoparticles.

A process for producing pig iron or liquid primary steel products is provided. Charge materials containing iron ore and, if appropriate, additions are reduced in at least one reduction unit by means of a reducing gas, and at least parts thereof are smelted in a smelting unit, with coal being added and with formation of the reducing gas. Reducing gas from the smelting unit and/or top gas from the reduction unit are/is subjected to cleaning. The process water obtained during the wet cleaning is degassed and in the process volatile organic compounds are removed from the process water.

This invention relates to power metallurgical material, production method and application thereof. A metallurgy powder material with pressure-proof & good compactness, satisfactory to the component content requirements for 316 stainless steel, wherein, 5˜9% (by weight) of Fe3P (or Fe3PO4). The powder metallurgical material has properties of pressure resistance and corrosion resistance, and excellent compactness.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for making silver nanoparticles, and includes steps of reacting a silver salt with a phosphene amino acid to make silver nanoparticles. Exemplary phosphene amino acids include trimers, with a particular example being a trimeric amino acid conjugate containing one phosphene group. In an exemplary method of the invention, the silver nanoparticles may be produced in timer periods of less than about 30 minutes, and at temperatures of less than about 40° C. Other methods of the invention are directed to methods for stabilizing silver nanoparticles.

A pump for pumping molten metal and delivering flux includes a refractory base that can be submerged in molten metal including an impeller chamber, an inlet and an outlet. A refractory shaft sleeve has upper and lower end portions and is fastened to the base at the lower end portion. A motor is disposed near the upper end portion of the shaft sleeve. A refractory shaft extends in the shaft sleeve and is connected to the motor near the upper end portion of the shaft sleeve. A refractory impeller is connected to the shaft and is rotatable in the impeller chamber. A flux feeding device feeds flux into the shaft sleeve. Also featured is a method for delivering flux in the shaft sleeve of the pump and a method for cleaning flux accretions in the shaft sleeve.

Articles containing a matrix material and plurality of copper nanoparticles in the matrix material that have been at least partially fused together are described. The copper nanoparticles are less than about 20 nm in size. Copper nanoparticles of this size become fused together at temperatures and pressures that are much lower than that of bulk copper. In general, the fusion temperatures decrease with increasing applied pressure and lowering of the size of the copper nanoparticles. The size of the copper nanoparticles can be varied by adjusting reaction conditions including, for example, surfactant systems, addition rates, and temperatures. Copper nanoparticles that have been at least partially fused together can form a thermally conductive percolation pathway in the matrix material.