Engineered platelets for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11192184-B2
Application number	US-201916446878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2019
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for producing a metal-containing powder useful for additive manufacturing. The metal-containing powder includes a plurality of metal-containing platelets having a defined physical geometry and a defined aspect ratio. The metal platelets may be produced by depositing a metal layer on a substrate that includes one or more recessed or raised surface features. The one or more recessed or raised surface features create a fracture pattern in a metal layer deposited across at least a portion of the one or more surface features. By separating the metal layer from the substrate and fracturing the metal layer along the fracture pattern, a plurality of metal platelets are produced. In some embodiments, a release agent may be disposed between the metal layer and the substrate to facilitate the separation of the metal layer from the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A metal platelet manufacturing method, comprising:
providing a substrate having a first surface including one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of said first surface;
depositing at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said one or more substrate surface features via vacuum deposition;
forming at least one metal layer having a fracture pattern corresponding to said one or more surface features of said substrate first surface;
separating the metal layer from the substrate; and
fracturing the metal layer along at least a portion of the fracture pattern to provide a plurality of metal platelets, one or more of the platelets having an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 5:1.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate one or more surface features comprises one or more recessed surface features and depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said one or more recessed surface features of the first surface of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing at least one metal layer across at least a portion of one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of one or more raised surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein separating the metal layer from the substrate comprises:
decomposing at least a portion of the substrate to separate at least a portion of the metal layer from the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
depositing a release agent across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate such that the release agent is disposed at least partially between the metal layer and the one or more surface features on the first surface of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein separating the metal layer from the substrate comprises:
decomposing at least a portion of the release agent to separate at least a portion of the metal layer from the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 :
wherein depositing the release agent on the substrate comprises:
depositing a first component that includes a water-soluble release agent on the substrate to provide at least a portion of the release layer; and

wherein decomposing at least a portion of the release agent further comprises:
at least partially submerging the metal coated substrate in an aqueous solution causing separation of at least a portion of the metal layer from the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
separating the metal platelets from the aqueous solution.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing at least one metal layer across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed at least partially across the first surface of the substrate comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate;
wherein the substrate includes a roll-to-roll continuous substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said substrate one or more surface features comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of a repeating surface feature pattern disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate to produce metal platelets such that 50% or more of the metal platelets have an aspect ratio of greater than or equal to 5:1.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of a non-repeating surface feature pattern disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate to produce a plurality of metal platelets such that:
the plurality of metal platelets include a plurality of physical geometries; and
50% or more of the metal platelets included in the plurality of metal platelets have an aspect ratio of greater than or equal to 5:1.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said substrate one or more surface features comprises:
depositing at least one of: a metal, a metal alloy, a metalloid, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal boride; or a metal carbide.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of the one or more surface features across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate comprises:
depositing a plurality of metal layers across at least the portion of the one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate to provide a multi-layer metal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein depositing the plurality of metal layers across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed at across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate to provide a multi-layer metal comprises:
depositing at least a second metal layer that includes a second metal across at least a portion of a first metal layer that includes a first metal, the second metal different from the first metal.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said substrate one or more surface features comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer using at least one of: electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, or sputtering.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein fracturing the metal layer along at least a portion of the fracture pattern to provide the plurality of metal platelets further comprises:
fracturing the metal layer along at least a portion of the fracture pattern to provide a plurality of metal platelets, each of the plurality of metal platelets having an aspect ratio of from 5:1 to 10:1.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of said substrate one or more surface features comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of one or more raised surface features such that the upper surface of the at least one metal layer conforms to at least a portion of the one or more raised surface features.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of the one or more surface features disposed across at least a portion of the first surface of the substrate comprises:
depositing the at least one metal layer across at least a portion of one or more raised surface features such that the upper surface of the at least one metal layer comprises a planar surface;
wherein the at least one metal layer includes a layer having a first thickness; and
wherein the fracture pattern includes a pattern having a second thickness corresponding to the at least one raised surface feature, the second metal thickness less than the first metal thickness.

19. A metal platelet manufacturing method, comprising:
moving a substrate that includes one or more surface features disposed at least partially across a first surface of the substrate from a substrate supply roll to a substrate tak

Assignees

• Southwest Res Inst

Inventors

• Poenitzsch Vasiliki Z
• Mcknight Randy L
• Popelar Carl F
• Miller Michael A
• Macha John H
• Coulter Kent E

Classifications

• B22F1/068

  Flake-like particles · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B22F2009/046

  by cutting · CPC title

• B22F9/04

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title

• B22F1/0551

  Flake form nanoparticles · CPC title