Metal powder for 3D printers and preparation method for metal powder

• US 10,065,240 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jiangsu Boqian New Materials Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ningbo Guangbo New Nanomaterials Stock Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Gangqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, C Melissa
• Application Number:
  US15/113,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/05 Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/052 characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/10 Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/102 Metallic powder coated with organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/105 containing inorganic lubricating or binding agents, e.g. metal salts
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/148 Agglomerating
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/10 Formation of a green body
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2009/084 combination of methods
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2301/15 Nickel or cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2302/45 Others, including non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2304/05 Submicron size particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2304/10 Micron size particles, i.e. above 1 micrometer up to 500 micrometer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/082 atomising using a fluid using centrifugal force B22F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/5873 Removal of material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/06 characterised by the deposition of metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/56 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention discloses metal powder for a 3D printer. The metal powder for 3D printers is 10-50-micron metal powder made by agglomerating many submicron order metal particles through a granulating process. As the metal powder is combined by submicron order metal particles, the metal powder is low in melting point and high in melting speed, so that the printing speed of the metal 3D printer can be increased and the precision of a printing member can be improved. Meanwhile, the average grain size of the metal powder is equivalent to existing atomized metal powder for 3D printers, and the metal powder has good dispersibility and conveying property, and can be suitable for existing 3D printer equipment.

Claims

1. A preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printer, comprising the specific steps of:

(1) firstly preparing the submicron order metal powder through the physical vapor deposition method or the chemical vapor deposition method, wherein the average grain size of the submicron order metal powder is 0.1-3 microns;

(2) mixing the submicron order metal powder with the average gain size of 0.1-3 microns obtained in step (1) with a liquid to prepare metal powder slurry, wherein the weight ratio of the submicron order metal powder liquid of the metal powder slurry is (0.25-2.0);

1;

(3) adding an organic adhesive which accounts for 0.1-10% by weight of the submicron order metal powder into the metal powder slurry obtained in step (2), and uniformly stirring and mixing the slurry;

and (4) preparing the uniformly stirred and mixed slurry in step (3) to the spherical metal powder for 3D printers with the average grain size of 10-50 microns through a centrifugal spray granulator or a pressure spray granulator.

2. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 1, wherein the average grain size of the submicron order metal powder in step (1) is 0.5-2 microns.

3. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 2, wherein the average grain size of the metal powder for 3D printers in step (4) is 20-30 microns.

4. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 1, wherein the metal powder is pure metal powder of titanium, nickel or copper or alloy powder of nickel-based alloy powder, titanium-based alloy powder, aluminium-based alloy powder or iron-base alloy.

5. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 1, wherein the liquid in step (1) is water, ethanol, isopropanol or methanol.

6. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 1, wherein the organic adhesive in the step (3) is a polyvinyl alcohol adhesive, or an ethyl cellulose adhesive.

7. The preparation method for the metal powder for 3D printers according to claim 1, wherein the rotating speed of the centrifugal spray granulator in step (4) is controlled at 10000-40000 r/m;

the pressure of the pressure spray granulator is 6-30 kg/cm²;

other operating parameters of the pressure spray granulator or the centrifugal spray granulator are controlled as follows;

the inlet temperature of dry air is 200-350°

C. and the outlet temperature is 80-150°

C.;

the flow of the dry air is 100-300 Nm³/h;

the feeding speed of the metal powder slurry in the pressure spray granulator or the centrifugal spray granulator is 5-20 kg/h.