Methods for interfacing a metallic microchannel and a metallic capillary

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416452-B2
Application number	US-202217815733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Jul 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed are systems and methods for interfacing a metallic capillary in a microchannel of a metallic body. A method may include inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion the microchannel of the metallic body, sintering the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body, disposing a sacrificial powder at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body after sintering the portion of the metallic capillary and the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body, and infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with an infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for interfacing a metallic capillary in a microchannel of a metallic body, the method comprising:
inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion of the microchannel of the metallic body; and
thermal bonding the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body, wherein thermal bonding the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body includes sintering the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the metallic body at a temperature of at least 1250° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion of the microchannel includes inserting the portion of the metallic capillary into the portion of the microchannel having a first width until the metallic capillary is adjacent an interior region of the microchannel having a second width less than the first width, the metallic capillary having a width greater than the second width of the interior region of the microchannel.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising three-dimensional printing the metallic body including the microchannel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
three-dimensional printing the metallic body including the microchannel includes three-dimensional printing the metallic body to include the portion of the microchannel having a first width and the microchannel including an interior portion having a second width less than the first width; and
inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion of the microchannel of the includes inserting the portion of the metallic capillary into the portion of the microchannel having the first width, the metallic capillary having a width greater than the second width of the interior region of the microchannel.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein three-dimensional printing the metallic body including the microchannel includes three-dimensional printing the metallic body using a stainless steel powder.

6. A method for interfacing a metallic capillary in a microchannel of a metallic body, the method comprising:
inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion of the microchannel of the metallic body;
thermal bonding the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body;
disposing a sacrificial powder at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body after thermal bonding the portion of the metallic capillary and the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body; and
infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary thermally bonded to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with an infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the infiltrant includes a bronze powder and the sacrificial powder includes a stainless steel powder.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein inserting a portion of the metallic capillary into a portion of the microchannel includes inserting the portion of the metallic capillary into the portion of the microchannel having a first width until the metallic capillary is adjacent an interior region of the microchannel having a second width less than the first width, the metallic capillary having a width greater than the second width of the interior region of the microchannel.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein thermal bonding the portion of the metallic capillary to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body includes:
sintering the metallic capillary and the metallic body to a predetermined temperature of at least 1000° C. for a predetermined time of at least 10 minutes in the presence of argon and hydrogen; and
cooling the metallic capillary and the metallic body after heating to the predetermined temperature for the predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with an infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body includes infiltrating the metallic body along with the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with the infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with an infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body includes infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with the infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder at a pressure of about −1 kPa or less.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with an infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder disposed at least proximate to the metallic capillary and the metallic body includes infiltrating at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with the infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder for at a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature of at least 1000° C. to melt and solidify the infiltrant.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least the portion of the metallic capillary sintered to the portion of the microchannel of the metallic body with the infiltrant in the presence of the sacrificial powder forms a structure including the metallic capillary interfacing microchannel such that the metallic structure is devoid of gaps between the portion of the microchannel and the portion of the capillary.

Assignees

• Univ Brigham Young

Inventors

• Davis Henry
• Jensen Brian
• Crane Nathan B
• Davis Robert C
• Harkness James
• Kohls Isa
• Vanfleet Richard

Classifications

• B81C2201/0128

  Processes for removing material · CPC title

• B81C1/00071

  Channels · CPC title

• B81B1/00

  Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices · CPC title

• B22F2998/10

  Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps · CPC title

• B22F5/10

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title