Additive manufacturing of functionally gradient degradable tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059092-B2
Application number	US-201514853977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an article comprises depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable; fusing the metallic powder according to a preset pattern; and adjusting a composition of the metallic powder or a condition to fuse the metallic powder or a combination thereof to additively form an article such that the article has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second portion: corrosion rate; tensile strength; compressive strength; modulus; or hardness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable;
fusing the metallic powder according to a preset pattern; and
adjusting a composition of the metallic powder or a condition to fuse the metallic powder or a combination thereof to additively form an article such that the article has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second portion: corrosion rate; tensile strength; compressive strength; modulus; or hardness,
wherein the metallic powder comprises a coated particle having a particle core with a nanoscale coating disposed thereon, the nanoscale coating having a melting point different than a melting point of the particle core.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing and the fusing are carried out as part of a selective laser sintering process, a laser melting process, or a direct metal deposition process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein fusing the metallic powder comprises applying an energy beam from an energy source to the metallic powder.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder is at least partially fused before deposited on the substrate or the worktable.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder is fused after deposited on the substrate or the worktable.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particle core comprises one or more of the following: Mg; Al; Zn; Mn, or an alloy thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoscale coating comprises one or more of the following: Al; Zn; Mn; Mg; Mo; W; Cu; Fe; Si; Ca; Co; Ta; Re; or Ni; an oxide thereof; a carbide thereof; or a nitride thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting a condition to fuse the metallic powder comprises fusing the metallic powder at an energy gradient.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder further comprises a second particle that is compositionally different from the coated particle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second particle comprises one or more of the following: Fe; Ni; Co; W; or Cu; or oxides; nitrides; or carbides thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises changing the relative amounts of the coated particle and the second particle.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises varying a particle size of the metallic matrix particle, varying a particle size of the second particle, or a combination thereof.

13. A method of using an article, the method comprising:
forming an article according to a method of claim 1 , the article comprising a first portion that is corrodible in a fluid at a first corrosion rate and a second portion that is corrodible in the fluid at a second corrosion rate, wherein the first corrosion rate is greater than the second corrosion rate;
using the article to perform a first operation;
exposing the article to the fluid;
selectively corroding the first portion of the article to provide a corroded article; and
using the corroded article to perform a second operation that is different from the first operation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the article is a downhole article, the fluid is a wellbore fluid, and the first and second operations are wellbore operations.

15. A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable;
fusing the metallic powder according to a preset pattern; and
adjusting a composition of the metallic powder or a condition to fuse the metallic powder or a combination thereof to additively form an article such that the article has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second portion: corrosion rate; tensile strength; compressive strength; modulus; or hardness;
wherein the metallic powder comprises an uncoated metallic matrix particle and a second particle;
the metallic matrix particle comprising one or more of the following: a magnesium-based alloy; an aluminum-based alloy; or a zinc-based alloy; and
the second particle comprising one or more of the following: a metal; an oxide of the metal; a nitride of the metal; or a cermet of the metal; wherein the metal is W; Co; Cu; Ni; or Fe.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises changing the relative amounts of the metallic matrix particle and the second particle.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises varying a particle size of the metallic matrix particle, varying a particle size of the second particle, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metallic matrix particle comprises a magnesium-based alloy.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metallic matrix particle comprises a zinc-based alloy.

Assignees

• Welch John C
• Xu Zhiyue
• Oxford James Andy
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Welch John C
• Xu Zhiyue
• Oxford James Andy

Classifications

• B22F1/16 Primary

  Metallic particles coated with a non-metal (coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F1/17

  Metallic particles coated with metal · CPC title

• B22F10/38

  to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures · CPC title