3-D printed hydrophobic metallic nanocomposites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440896-B2
Application number	US-202318140271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 27, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

This disclosure, and the exemplary embodiments provided herein, disclose carbon nanotubes (CNT) integrated into 316L stainless steel (SS) powder feedstocks and 3D-printed using selective laser melting (SLM). Ball milling is used to disperse CNT clusters homogeneously onto the surface of 316L SS powders with minimal damage to the CNTs. Hardness increased by 35% and wear was reduced by 70% with the addition of 2 vol % CNT, relative to SLM 316L SS. The addition of CNTs increased the water contact angle and retained the desirable corrosion resistance of SLM 316L SS, demonstrating the potential of 3D-printed SS-CNT composites for use in structural marine applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3D printed hydrophobic metallic component comprising:
multiple metallic layers deposited successively, wherein each metallic layer comprises a metallic surface and multiple asperities;
the multiple asperities comprising arrays of micropillars configured to create an air barrier between the metallic surface and a water droplet, wherein the air barrier induces a Cassie-Baxter state and hydrophobic effect;
the multiple asperities formed by a method comprising,
providing a composite powder, the composite powder generated by mixing a metal powder with a nanotube material in a high energy ball mill, and
melting, by selective laser melting, the composite powder to form a melt pool, wherein the melt pool disseminates the nanotube material, wherein the dispersed nanotube materials form arrays of micropillars;
purging, by an argon gas, the environment around the melt pool; and
cooling, by the argon gas, the melt pool.

2. The component of claim 1 , wherein the nanotube material is carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

3. The component of claim 2 , wherein the composite powder is 1% or 2% CNT by volume.

4. The component of claim 2 , wherein the selective laser melting machine is configured to have a target energy density that is low enough to ensure particulates of the CNT do not dissolve.

5. The component of claim 2 , wherein the CNT is approximately 0.1% to 3% by volume of the composite powder.

6. The component of claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder is 316L stainless steel powder.

7. The component of claim 1 , wherein the composite powder comprises metal powder and boron nitride.

8. The component of claim 1 , wherein the composite powder comprises carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and stainless steel powder.

9. The component of claim 8 , wherein the carbon nanotube is a multiwall CNT having lengths in the range of 10-30 μms and diameters in the range of 10-20 nm.

10. The component of claim 1 , wherein the composite powder is 3D printed directly on a surface of another body.

11. A 3D-printed stainless steel composite structure comprising:
multiple metallic layers deposited successively, wherein each metallic layer comprises a stainless steel surface and multiple asperities;
the multiple asperities comprising arrays of carbon nanotube (CNT) micropillars configured to create an air barrier between the stainless steel surface and a water droplet, wherein the air barrier induces a Cassie-Baxter state and hydrophobic effect.

Assignees

• Us Navy
• The Government Of The Unites States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy

Inventors

• Ansell Troy Youngmin
• Nieto Andy
• Budan Justin

Classifications

• Y10T428/12576

  Boride, carbide or nitride component · CPC title

• B32B15/18

  comprising iron or steel {(B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B32B15/043

  of metal (B32B15/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B15/011

  all layers being formed of iron alloys or steels · CPC title

• B32B15/01

  all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)} · CPC title