Method of manufacturing metal articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12109644-B2
Application number	US-202117395714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A method for making an article is disclosed. According to the method, a digital model of the article is generated. The digital model is inputted into an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an energy source. The additive manufacturing apparatus applies energy from the energy source to successively applied incremental quantities of a powder to fuse the powder to form the article corresponding to the digital model. The powder particles individually include a composite core including a first phase of a first metal and a second phase of a ceramic. A first shell including a second metal is disposed over the core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising:
fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic;
infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal;
solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal;
mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic; and
forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles,
wherein the second metal comprises aluminum.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second metal of the first shell further comprises silicon alloyed or in solid solution with the aluminum.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first shell comprises from 0.5 to 13 wt. % silicon.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second shell comprises silicon, zirconium, or a rare earth element.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell.

8. A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising:
fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic;
infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal;
solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal;
mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic, and
forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles,
wherein the first shell comprises between 0.5 to 13 wt. % silicon.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second metal comprises aluminum.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell.

13. A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising:
fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic;
infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal;
solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal;
mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic, and
forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles,
forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second shell comprises silicon, zirconium, or a rare earth element.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity.

16. A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising:
fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic;
infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal;
solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal;
mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic;
forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles; and
forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Karlen Eric
• Wentland William Louis

Classifications

• 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

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y70/10

  Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials · CPC title

• B22F1/17

  Metallic particles coated with metal · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title