Additively manufactured high temperature objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10603891-B2
Application number	US-201715499425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

Method for producing an object by additively manufacturing a preform of the object from a building material comprising a polymer. The preform is encapsulated with a metal or metal alloy encapsulant that is capable of withstanding temperatures greater than the preform. The encapsulated preform is heated at a predetermined temperature and for a period of time, such that the preform at least partially transmutes into the form of a carbonaceous solid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
additively manufacturing a preform of a three-dimensional object from a building material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, polyaryletherketone (“PAEK”), carbon fiber, at least 15% carbon fiber by weight, or polyetherketone ketone (“PEKK”);
encapsulating the preform with a metal or metal alloy that is capable of withstanding temperatures greater than the preform;
providing venting holes in the encapsulated preform prior to a step of heating so that solvents may be vented from the encapsulated preform during the step of heating;
heating the encapsulated preform at a predetermined temperature and for a period of time, such that the preform substantially transmutes into a form of a carbonaceous solid residue;
maintaining the preform within an inert gas environment during the heating step;
wherein the step of additively manufacturing the preform of the three-dimensional object from the building material comprises the following steps:
applying a layer of the building material on a bed or on a previously applied layer of the building material in a powder form;
solidifying select points of the layer of the building material by a heat energy introduced by electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation according to a cross-section pattern assigned to layer so that the building material at the select points is solidified by the radiation;
wherein the applying step and the solidifying step are successively repeated until all cross sections of the preform of the object are solidified;

wherein the step of encapsulating the preform comprises the step of applying a nickel plating that is capable of withstanding high temperatures;
wherein the step of heating comprises:
increasing the temperature in the inert gas environment at a controlled rate that minimizes expansion of the preform;
maintaining a temperature in the inert gas environment, after the step of increasing the temperature, between 400 Celsius and 500 Celsius.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of closing the venting holes in the metal alloy encapsulant after the step of heating.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of closing the venting holes is performed in the inert environment.

4. A method of producing a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
additively manufacturing a preform of a three-dimensional object from a building material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, polyaryletherketone (“PAEK”), or carbon fiber;
encapsulating the preform with a metal or metal alloy that is capable of withstanding temperatures greater than the preform;
providing venting holes in the encapsulated preform so that solvents may be vented from the encapsulated preform during a subsequent heating;
heating the encapsulated preform at a predetermined temperature and for a period of time, such that the preform substantially transmutes into a form of a carbonaceous solid residue;
maintaining the preform within an inert gas environment during the heating step;
wherein the step of additively manufacturing the preform of the three-dimensional object from the building material comprises the following steps:
applying a layer of the building material on a bed or on a previously applied layer of the building material in a powder form;
solidifying select points of the layer of the building material by a heat energy introduced by electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation according to a cross-section pattern assigned to layer so that the building material at the select points is solidified by the radiation;
wherein the applying step and the solidifying step are successively repeated until all cross sections of the preform of the object are solidified;

wherein the step of encapsulating the preform comprises the step of applying a nickel plating that is capable of withstanding high temperatures;
wherein the step of heating comprises:
increasing the temperature in the inert gas environment at a controlled rate that minimizes expansion of the preform;
maintaining a temperature in the inert gas environment, after the step of increasing the temperature, at 400 Celsius or greater.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the temperature is maintained for a period of time such that the preform substantially transmutes into the form of a carbonaceous solid residue.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising a step of closing the venting holes in the metal alloy encapsulant after the step of heating.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of closing the venting holes is performed in the inert environment.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the building material is at least 15% carbon fiber by weight.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the building material comprises polyetherketone ketone (“PEKK”).

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of heating comprises:
maintaining a temperature in the inert gas environment, after the step of increasing the temperature, between 400 Celsius and 500 Celsius.

Assignees

• Hexcel Corp

Inventors

• Defelice Scott
• Decarmine Anthony

Classifications

• C23C18/1692

  Heat-treatment · CPC title

• C23C18/32

  Coating with nickel, cobalt or mixtures thereof with phosphorus or boron (C23C18/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C04B2235/665

  Local sintering, e.g. laser sintering · CPC title

• B29K2071/00

  Use of polyethers {, e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B28B11/24

  for curing, setting or hardening (processes for influencing or modifying the setting or hardening ability of mortars, concrete or artificial stone compositions, in general C04B40/00) · CPC title