Methods for producing complex ceramic articles
First Claim
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1. Method for producing ceramic articles, comprising the steps of:
- a. using a rapid prototyping process to produce a disposable mold having a cavity which has the shape of the desired ceramic article;
b. filling said cavity with a ceramic slurry which includes a liquid carrier;
c. cooling the slurry filled mold cavity to solidify said slurry;
d. removing said disposable mold; and
e. removing substantially all of the original liquid carrier from said solidified slurry to produce a ceramic article.
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Abstract
Ceramic articles, particularly ceramic cores and molds for an investment casting and combinations of ceramic cores and molds are produced using temporary molds, patterns or models made by a rapid prototyping or solid free-form manufacturing process. The molds, cores and patterns are contacted with ceramic slurry, which is then solidified by lowering the temperature of the slurry. What was liquid in the original slurry is then removed by sublimation leaving behind a ceramic article having a configuration, which is defined by the temporary tooling. The ceramic article so produced may be densified by sintering, and is used in a casting process.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. Method for producing ceramic articles, comprising the steps of:
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a. using a rapid prototyping process to produce a disposable mold having a cavity which has the shape of the desired ceramic article;
b. filling said cavity with a ceramic slurry which includes a liquid carrier;
c. cooling the slurry filled mold cavity to solidify said slurry;
d. removing said disposable mold; and
e. removing substantially all of the original liquid carrier from said solidified slurry to produce a ceramic article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Method for producing a ceramic mold for casting metallic parts, having desired exterior shapes, comprising the steps of:
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a. using a rapid prototyping process to produce a disposable pattern whose external shape corresponds to the desired external shape of the metallic part and placing the temporary pattern in a container, b. filling the container with a ceramic slurry, c. cooling the slurry filled container to solidify said slurry, d. removing said disposable pattern from said solidified slurry, and e. removing substantially all of the original liquid carrier from said solidified slurry. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Method for producing an integral ceramic core mold for casting metallic parts having an external shape and having at least one internal passage having an internal shape, including the steps of:
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a. using a rapid prototyping process to produce a disposable pattern whose external shape corresponds to the desired external configuration of the metallic part and an internal passage shape corresponds to the shape of the desired metallic part internal passage, b. placing said disposable model in a container, c. filling said container and said internal cavity with a ceramic slurry, d. cooling the slurry filled container and cavity to solidify said slurry;
e. removing said disposable model from said solidified slurry, and f. removing substantially all original liquid carrier from said solidified slurry. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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20. Method as in claim 20 wherein the disposable pattern is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polymers, waxes, plastics and hard particles coated with a material selected from the group consisting of polymers, waxes, plastics and mixtures thereof.
- 27. A ceramic assembly that includes at least two ceramic articles connected to each other by at least 10 integral ceramic ligands, wherein at least one ligand has a complex geometry.
Specification