A method of manufacturing an object comprising: selectively heating an initial layer of a composition, comprising elements of a granular material coated with a metallic material, to a threshold temperature; selectively heating an additional layer of the composition, disposed in contact with the initial layer, to the threshold temperature, the selective heating of each respective layer to the threshold temperature actuating an exothermic reaction between the elements of the granular material and the metallic material coating associated therewith to form a molten portion of the respective layer, with turbulence in the molten portion of the respective layer disrupting oxidation of the molten granular material and promoting formation of an intermetallic compound in the molten portion of the respective layer upon cooling thereof below the threshold temperature, and with the portions of the respective layers combining to form the object, wherein selectively heating the initial layer or the additional layer comprises selectively heating the initial layer or selectively heating the additional layer, the initial layer or the additional layer comprising the elements of an aluminum powder or an aluminum alloy powder coated with the metallic material, to the threshold temperature; and cooling the molten portion of the initial layer or the additional layer to a solidification temperature, the solidification temperature being less than the threshold temperature, so as to solidify the portion of the initial layer or the additional layer, with the solidified portion of the initial layer or the additional layer comprising discrete particles or eutectic colonies of the intermetallic compound and with oxide particles produced from the disrupted oxidation of the molten granular material being in spaced apart relation to each other, wherein the metallic material is nickel, wherein a weight fraction of the metallic material coating is between 3.8 and 29.2 percent by weight, and wherein the threshold temperature is the melting temperature of aluminum or aluminum alloy. selectively heating an initial layer of a composition, comprising elements of a granular material coated with a metallic material, to a threshold temperature; selectively heating an additional layer of the composition, disposed in contact with the initial layer, to the threshold temperature, the selective heating of each respective layer to the threshold temperature actuating an exothermic reaction between the elements of the granular material and the metallic material coating associated therewith to form a molten portion of the respective layer, with turbulence in the molten portion of the respective layer disrupting oxidation of the molten granular material and promoting formation of an intermetallic compound in the molten portion of the respective layer upon cooling thereof below the threshold temperature, and with the portions of the respective layers combining to form the object, wherein selectively heating the initial layer or the additional layer comprises selectively heating the initial layer or selectively heating the additional layer, the initial layer or the additional layer comprising the elements of an aluminum powder or an aluminum alloy powder coated with the metallic material, to the threshold temperature; and cooling the molten portion of the initial layer or the additional layer to a solidification temperature, the solidification temperature being less than the threshold temperature, so as to solidify the portion of the initial layer or the additional layer, with the solidified portion of the initial layer or the additional layer comprising discrete particles or eutectic colonies of the intermetallic compound and with oxide particles produced from the disrupted oxidation of the molten granular material being in spaced apart relation to each other, wherein the metallic material is nickel, wherein a weight fraction of the metallic material coating is between 3.8 and 29.2 percent by weight, and wherein the threshold temperature is the melting temperature of aluminum or aluminum alloy.