Metal-connected particle articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383301-B2
Application number	US-201916264676-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for making metal-connected particle articles. A metal containing fluid is selectively applied to a layer of particles. The metal in the fluid is used to form metal connections between particles. The metal connections are formed at temperatures below the sintering temperature of the particles in the layer of particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition for a three-dimensional printed part comprising:
powder metal particles spread as a layer on a substrate of a 3-dimensional printer, the powder metal particles having a median size of 1 micron to 1000 microns in their largest dimension; and
a fluid applied to a portion of the layer, the fluid comprising coated metal nanoparticles in a solution or dispersion, wherein the coated metal nanoparticles are silver coated iron nanoparticles or polyethylene coated nickel nanoparticles, and wherein the coated metal nanoparticles are concentrated in areas between the powder metal particles at the portion of the layer.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fluid further comprises a reducing agent or a chelating agent.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise stainless steel powder or copper powder.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises an ink vehicle comprising water, co-solvent(s), and/or surfactant(s).

5. A method of forming metal connections in a three-dimensional part, the method comprising:
forming a layer of powder metal particles on a substrate of a 3-dimensional printer, the powder metal particles having a median size of 1 micron to 1000 microns in their largest dimension;
selectively applying a fluid comprising coated metal nanoparticles in a solution or dispersion to a portion of the layer of powder metal particles, wherein the coated metal nanoparticles are silver coated iron nanoparticles or polyethylene coated nickel nanoparticles, and wherein the coated metal nanoparticles concentrate in areas between the powder metal particles at the portion of the layer; and
heating to form the metal connections between the powder metal particles.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating is at a temperature of no more than 250° C.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the powder metal particles comprise stainless steel powder or copper powder.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fluid comprises water, co-solvent(s), and/or surfactants(s).

9. A composition for a three-dimensional printed part comprising:
metal particles; and
a fluid comprising metal nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, and copper, wherein the metal nanoparticles are coated with a polyethylene coating to prevent or reduce surface oxidation, and wherein the coated metal nanoparticles are present in the fluid in a solution or dispersion.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Erickson Kristopher J
• Nauka Krzysztof
• Anthony Thomas
• Zhao Lihua
• Tom Howard S

Classifications

• C23C24/08 Primary

  by application of heat or pressure and heat (C23C24/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F12/30

  Platforms or substrates · CPC title