Systems, devices, and methods for purifying atmosphere in a vacuum furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025334333-A1
Application number	US-202418977147-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2024
Priority date	Aug 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a furnace for heating and/or sintering one or more three-dimensional printed metal parts. The furnace includes a furnace chamber, insulation within the furnace chamber, a retort within the furnace chamber, and one or more getters containing getter material. The retort is configured to receive the one or more three-dimensional printed metal parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A retort configuration having reduced contamination, comprising:
a retort disposed within a furnace and configured to receive a inflow of process gas through a inlet; and at least one getter configured to lessen the number of reactive species within the retort during a thermal processing cycle.

2 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the getter is disposed within the retort during the thermal processing cycle.

3 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the getter is disposed exterior to the retort during the thermal processing cycle.

4 . The retort configuration of claim 3 wherein the getter is disposed on a top of the retort.

5 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the retort includes a bottom plate, a plurality of stacked retort components and a top plate.

6 . The retort configuration of claim 4 wherein the top plate includes a recess for receiving the at least one getter.

7 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the retort is configured for horizontal flow of the process gas.

8 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the retort is configured for vertical flow of the process gas.

9 . The retort configuration of claim 1 wherein the at least one getter is zirconium or a zirconium alloy.

10 . The retort configuration of claim 9 wherein the at least one getter is a pulverized sponge or sponge grit.

11 . A method of reducing contamination of parts during a thermal processing cycle, comprising:
disposing a retort containing a part to be processed and at least one getter within a furnace; and providing a flow of process gas through the retort while conducting a thermal processing cycle, wherein the getter reacts with reactive agents in the furnace.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the getter is disposed within the retort.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the getter is disposed exterior to the retort.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the getter is disposed on a top of the retort.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the retort includes a bottom plate, a plurality of stacked retort components and a top plate.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the top plate includes a recess for receiving the at least one getter.

17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the process gas flow flows horizontally through the retort.

18 . The method of claim 11 wherein the process gas flow flows vertically through the retort.

19 . The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one getter is zirconium or a zirconium alloy.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one getter is a pulverized sponge or sponge grit.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Woodard Nathan
• Raghu Shashank Holenarasipura
• Gibson Michael Andrew

Classifications

• F27D7/06

  Forming or maintaining special atmospheres or vacuum within heating chambers (supplying steam, vapour, gases or liquids F27D7/02) · CPC title

• F27D2007/066

  Vacuum · CPC title

• F27B5/16

  Arrangements of air or gas supply devices · CPC title

• F27D17/20

  Arrangements for treatment or cleaning of waste gases · CPC title

• F27B5/04 Primary

  adapted for treating the charge in vacuum or special atmosphere · CPC title