Thermal debinding techniques for additive manufacturing and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025197617-A1
Application number	US-202418780693-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2024
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 19, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for debinding additively fabricated parts are described that do not require solvent debinding or catalytic debinding, and that may be performed using only thermal debinding in a furnace. As a result, in at least some cases debinding and sintering may take place sequentially within a single furnace. In some embodiments, the techniques may utilize particular materials as binders that allow for a thermal debinding process that does not negatively affect the parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . A method of forming a metal part via additive fabrication, the method comprising:
forming a three-dimensional part from a build material through additive fabrication, wherein the build material comprises at least one metal powder and a binder including a primary binder component and a secondary binder component, wherein forming the part comprises heating the build material to a deposition temperature and extruding the heated build material onto a substrate; heating the part in a furnace at a first temperature below the deposition temperature to cause evaporation and/or sublimation of the primary binder component, wherein the first temperature is below a melting point of the secondary binder component; heating the part in the furnace at a second temperature to cause conversion to a gas of the secondary binder component subsequent to said heating of the part at the first temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the melting point of the secondary binder component; and heating the part in the furnace at a third temperature to sinter the at least one metal powder subsequent to said heating of the part at the second temperature, wherein the third temperature is greater than the second temperature.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the first temperature is greater or equal to 50° C. and less than or equal to 100° C.

30 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising operating the furnace to have an internal ambient pressure of less than 10 Torr during said heating at the first temperature.

31 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising operating the furnace to have an internal ambient pressure of less than 10 Torr during said heating at the second temperature

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein operating the furnace to have an internal ambient pressure of less than 10 Torr comprises controlling gas flow through the furnace to remove the primary binder component from within the furnace while maintaining the internal ambient pressure of less than 10 Torr.

33 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising pumping a gas into the furnace during said heating at the first temperature.

34 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the second temperature is greater or equal to 250° C. and less than or equal to 500° C.

35 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the third temperature is greater or equal to 800° C. and less than or equal to 1500° C.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Reidy John
• Craven Christopher
• Tuncer Nihan
• Bose Animesh
• Barbati Alexander C
• Fulop Ricardo
• Kernan Brian D
• Schofalvi Karl-Heinz

Classifications

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B29K2505/00

  Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, as filler · CPC title

• B29C64/165

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B29K2509/02

  Ceramics · CPC title