Ceramic article and method of manufacture therefor

• US 20040152581A1
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rapid Ceramic Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Rapid Ceramic Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Dzugan, Robert, Bardes, Bruce Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/357,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152581A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 501/95.2
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3217 Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3418 Silicon oxide, silicic acids, or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint glass constituents C04B2235/36
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/48 Organic compounds becoming part of a ceramic after heat treatment, e.g. carbonising phenol resins
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/483 Si-containing organic compounds, e.g. silicone resins, (poly)silanes, (poly)siloxanes or (poly)silazanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6026 Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6028 Shaping around a core which is removed later
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/665 Local sintering, e.g. laser sintering
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/80 Phases present in the sintered or melt-cast ceramic products other than the main phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/85 Intergranular or grain boundary phases
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/117 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/14 based on silica
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/185 Mullite 3Al2O3-2SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/64 Burning or sintering processes C04B33/32 takes precedence ; powder metallurgy B22F
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/78 containing non-metallic materials

Abstract

A ceramic article resulting from a chemical interaction between a particulate ceramic material and a ceramic matrix material is described. The ceramic matrix results from at least partial chemical transformation of a precursor material. A chemical bond between the ceramic matrix and the particulate ceramic material is developed during manufacture. The configuration of the ceramic article is developed through use of a rapid prototyping process. A ceramic article comprising different compositions in two or more regions of the article is described. A manufacturing process comprising the steps employed to produce such a ceramic article is also described.

The ceramic article described herein is particularly suited for use as a mold for metal casting. The manufacturing process disclosed herein enables production of such a mold within a matter of hours, rather than days, as required by prior art casting technologies.

Claims

1. A ceramic article resulting from a chemical interaction between a particulate ceramic material and a ceramic matrix material;

wherein;

the particulate ceramic material and a precursor material are intermixed, so that particles of the particulate ceramic material are in intimate contact with the precursor material;

at least a portion of the precursor material is chemically transformed to form the ceramic matrix material;

the chemical interaction between the particulate ceramic material and the ceramic matrix material produces a chemical bond therebetween; and

the ceramic article has a configuration developed through use of a rapid prototyping process.

2. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the chemical interaction produces a new chemical species, consuming at least a portion of the particulate ceramic material and at least a portion of the ceramic matrix material in the chemical interaction.

3. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the precursor material is provided in liquid form.

4. The ceramic article as recited in claim 3, wherein the precursor material comprises a silicone resin.

5. The ceramic article as recited in claim 4, wherein the precursor material is chemically transformed by oxidation, and wherein the ceramic matrix material comprises at least one member of a group consisting of silica and silicates.

6. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the precursor material is provided in gaseous form.

7. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the particulate ceramic material comprises a plurality of chemical species.

8. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the precursor material comprises a plurality of chemical species.

9. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises stereolithography.

10. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises three-dimensional printing.

11. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises fused deposition modeling.

12. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises selective laser sintering.

13. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the ceramic article is a core for a metal casting process.

14. The ceramic article as recited in claim 1, wherein the ceramic article is a mold for a metal casting process.

15. The mold for a metal casting process as recited in claim 14, wherein the mold comprises an integral core.

16. A ceramic article resulting from chemical interactions between at least one particulate ceramic material and at least one ceramic matrix material;

wherein;

a first particulate ceramic material and a first precursor material are intermixed, so that particles of the first particulate ceramic material are in intimate contact with the first precursor material, thereby creating a first intermixed material;

at least a portion of the first precursor material is chemically transformed to form a first ceramic matrix material;

the chemical interaction between the first particulate ceramic material and the first ceramic matrix material produces a chemical bond therebetween;

the first intermixed material is employed to manufacture a portion of the ceramic article;

a second particulate ceramic material and a second precursor material are intermixed, so that particles of the second particulate ceramic material are in intimate contact with the second precursor material, thereby creating a second intermixed material;

at least a portion of the second precursor material is chemically transformed to form a second ceramic matrix material;

the chemical interaction between the second particulate ceramic material and the second ceramic matrix material produces a chemical bond therebetween;

the second intermixed material is employed to manufacture a portion of the ceramic article; and

the ceramic article has a configuration developed through use of a rapid prototyping process.

17. The ceramic article as recited in claim 16, wherein the first precursor material and the second precursor material are identical.

18. The ceramic article as recited in claim 16, wherein the first ceramic matrix material and the second ceramic matrix material are identical.

19. The ceramic article as recited in claim 16, wherein first particulate ceramic material and the second particulate ceramic material are identical.

20. The ceramic article as recited in claim 16, wherein the first intermixed material and the second intermixed material comprise the same components, in different proportions.

21. A process for manufacturing a ceramic article, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a particulate ceramic material comprising at least one chemical species;

(b) intermixing a precursor material with at least a portion of the particulate ceramic material to achieve intimate contact between the precursor material and the portion of the particulate ceramic material, thereby creating an intermixed material;

(c) shaping the intermixed material into a predetermined configuration by using a rapid prototyping process, thereby creating a preform; and

(d) chemically transforming at least a portion of the precursor material in the preform to a ceramic matrix material.

22. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the particulate ceramic material comprises alumina.

23. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the precursor material comprises a resin that is capable of polymerization upon exposure to light.

24. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the precursor material comprises a silicone resin.

25. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises stereolithography.

26. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises three-dimensional printing.

27. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises fused deposition modeling.

28. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein the rapid prototyping process comprises selective laser sintering.

29. The process as recited in claim 21, wherein chemically transforming at least a portion of the precursor material comprises oxidizing the precursor material.

30. The process as recited in claim 21, additionally comprising the step of chemically interacting at least a portion of the particulate ceramic material with at least a portion of the ceramic matrix material to create the ceramic article.

31. The process as recited in claim 30, wherein chemically interacting at least a portion of the particulate ceramic material with at least a portion of the ceramic matrix material comprises elevated temperature thermal treatment.

32. The process as recited in claim 21, additionally comprising the step of filling porosity in the ceramic article with a filler material.

33. The process as recited in claim 21, additionally comprising the step of coating at least a portion of the ceramic article with a coating material.