Method of coating metallic powder particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017306484-A1
Application number	US-201715648776-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 23, 2015
Publication date	Oct 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system for coating metallic powder particles is provided. The method includes: disposing an amount of metallic powder particulates within a fluidizing reactor; removing moisture adhered to the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a working gas; coating the powder particles disposed within the reactor using a precursor gas; and purging the precursor gas from the reactor using the working gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
disposing an amount of metallic powder particulates within a fluidizing reactor; and coating the metallic powder particulates disposed within the reactor with a material present within a precursor gas; wherein the coating includes coating the metallic powder particulates with the material in an amount such that the coated metallic powder particulates have a level of reflectivity that is acceptable for subsequent processing of the coated metallic powder particulates within an additive manufacturing process.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing moisture adhered to the metallic powder particulates disposed within the reactor using a working gas.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the coating occurs subsequent to said removing of moisture.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
purging the precursor gas from the reactor using the working gas.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
purging the precursor gas from the reactor using a working gas.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic powder particulates are aluminum alloy.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the aluminum alloy is selected from the group consisting of aluminum 5056, aluminum 6061, or aluminum 7075.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor gas comprises silicon.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the precursor gas is selected from the group consisting of silane (SiH 4 ), disilane (Si 2 H 6 ), chlorosilane (H 3 ClSi), or dichlorosilane (SiH 2 Cl 2 ).

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the removing moisture adhered to the metallic powder particulates disposed within the reactor using working gas includes heating the working gas to a predetermined temperature.

11 . A method comprising:
providing a system having a fluidizing reactor, a precursor gas source, and a processor adapted to execute instructions to control and monitor operation of the system, wherein the processor is in communication with a memory operable to store the executable instructions; disposing an amount of metallic powder particulates within the fluidizing reactor; and controlling the system to coat the metallic powder particulates disposed within the reactor with a material present in a precursor gas provided from the precursor gas source; wherein the controlling the system to coat the metallic powder particulates includes coating the metallic powder particulates with the material in an amount such that the coated metallic powder particulates have a level of reflectivity that is acceptable for subsequent processing of the coated metallic powder particulates within an additive manufacturing process.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing the system to have a working gas source; and controlling the system to remove moisture adhered to the metallic powder particulates disposed within the reactor using a working gas provided from the working gas source.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
controlling the system to coat the metallic powder particulates subsequent to removing the moisture.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the system to purge the precursor gas from the reactor using a working gas.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the metallic powder particulates are aluminum alloy.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the aluminum alloy is selected from the group consisting of aluminum 5056, aluminum 6061, or aluminum 7075.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the precursor gas comprises silicon.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the precursor gas is selected from the group consisting of silane (SiH 4 ), disilane (Si 2 H 6 ), chlorosilane (H 3 ClSi), or dichlorosilane (SiH 2 Cl 2 ).

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the working gas is at least one of an inert gas or a reducing gas.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• She Ying
• Beals James T

Classifications

• B22F12/10

  Auxiliary heating means · CPC title

• B22F1/16

  Metallic particles coated with a non-metal (coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• B22F10/34

  of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability · CPC title

• B22F12/70

  Gas flow means · CPC title

• B22F2201/00

  Treatment under specific atmosphere · CPC title