Additively manufactured single-crystal metallic components, and methods for producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023364714-A1
Application number	US-202318106333-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2023
Priority date	Oct 4, 2018
Publication date	Nov 16, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some variations provide a method of making an additively manufactured single-crystal metallic component, comprising: providing a feedstock comprising a first metal or metal alloy; providing a build plate comprising a single crystal of a second metal or metal alloy; exposing the feedstock to an energy source for melting the feedstock, generating a melt layer on the build plate; and solidifying the melt layer, generating a solid layer (on the build plate) of a metal component. The solid layer is also a single crystal of the first metal or metal alloy. The method may be repeated many times to build the part. Some variations provide a single-crystal metallic component comprising a plurality of solid layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction, wherein the plurality of solid layers forms a single crystal of a metal or metal alloy with a continuous crystallographic texture. The crystal orientation may vary along the additive-manufacturing build direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making an additively manufactured single-crystal metallic component, said method comprising:
(a) providing a metal-containing feedstock comprising a first metal or metal alloy; (b) providing a build plate comprising a build region consisting of a seed single crystal of a second metal or metal alloy; (c) exposing a first amount of said metal-containing feedstock to an energy source for melting said first amount of said metal-containing feedstock, thereby generating a first melt layer disposed on said build region; and (d) solidifying said first melt layer, thereby generating a first solid layer, disposed on said build region, of an additively manufactured metal component, wherein said first solid layer is a single crystal of said first metal or metal alloy.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said metal-containing feedstock is a metal alloy.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said first metal or metal alloy is the same as said second metal or metal alloy.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said seed single crystal is in a crystal orientation selected from crystal lattice planes (100), (110), (111), or an angle between two of said crystal lattice planes (100), (110), and (111).

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said build plate comprises an exterior layer that consists of said seed single crystal of said second metal or metal alloy.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said build plate consists of said seed single crystal.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said energy source is a laser-diode energy source.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) utilizes an exposure time from 1 microsecond to 1 minute.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is controlled to maintain an average thermal gradient from 10 K/m to 10 6 K/m within said first melt layer.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) is controlled to maintain an average thermal gradient below 10 6 K/m within said first solid layer.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) is controlled to maintain an average solidification velocity from 10 −7 m/s to 1 m/s within said first solid layer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) utilizes a controlled exposure pattern that spatially constrains solidification in step (d).

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said first solid layer is in a crystal orientation selected from crystal lattice planes (100), (110), (111), or an angle between two of said crystal lattice planes (100), (110), and (111).

14 . The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising repeating steps (b) and (c) a plurality of times to generate a plurality of solid layers by sequentially solidifying a plurality of melt layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction, wherein said plurality of solid layers is a final single crystal of said first metal or metal alloy.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said final single crystal is in a crystal orientation selected from crystal lattice planes (100), (110), (111), or an angle between two of said crystal lattice planes (100), (110), and (111).

Assignees

• Hrl Lab Llc

Inventors

• Martin John H
• Hundley Jacob M
• Yahata Brennan D

Classifications

• B23K26/342 Primary

  Build-up welding · CPC title

• B23K9/044

  Built-up welding on three-dimensional surfaces · CPC title

• B23K26/0604

  by a combination of beams · CPC title

• B23K26/0734

  into an annular shape · CPC title

• C30B13/06

  the molten zone not extending over the whole cross-section · CPC title