Method for making spray-dried cement particles

• US 20060254467A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyojin, Carty, William, Kim, Ungsoo, Farr, Isaac, Kearl, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US11/128,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20060254467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/728
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/00 Producing shaped prefabricated articles from the material using presses B28B3/00; shaping on moving conveyors B28B5/00; producing tubular articles B28B21/00 ; producing articles with embedded elements B28B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00146 Sprayable or pumpable mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00181 Mixtures specially adapted for three-dimensional printing (3DP), stereo-lithography or prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2641 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates

Abstract

A cement composition comprises free-flowing spray-dried unreacted cement particles and a liquid binder. The spray-dried particles may include a poly acid. A method for making a cement composition using spray dried cement particles comprises a) providing cement particles, b) milling or sieving said cement particles so as to produce cement particles having a desired average size, c) adding a liquid carrier to said particles before or after milling so as to form a slurry, d) adding a poly acid to said particles while maintaining the pH of the slurry above about 6, and e) spray-drying the slurry. The resulting particles can be used in conjunction with a liquid binder to form a monolith having a desired shape.

Claims

1. A cement composition, comprising:

spray-dried unreacted cement particles; and

a liquid binder.

2. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein the liquid binder is acidic.

3. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein the spray-dried particles include a poly acid.

4. The cement composition of claim 1 wherein the spray-dried particles have a size distribution such that a free-flowing powder is produced.

5. A method for making a cement composition using spray-dried cement particles, comprising:

a) providing cement particles;

b) milling or sieving said cement particles so as to produce cement particles having a desired average size;

c) adding a liquid carrier to said particles before or after milling so as to form a slurry;

d) adding a poly acid to said particles while maintaining the pH of the slurry above about 6; and

e) spray-drying the slurry.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pH of the slurry is maintained by adding said poly acid as a salt.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said poly acid is poly(acrylic acid).

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the pH of the slurry is maintained by adding a base or a buffer to said slurry.

9. A method for solid free-form fabrication of a three-dimensional object, comprising:

a) providing cement particles;

b) milling or sieving said cement particles so as to produce cement particles having a desired average size;

c) adding a liquid carrier to said particles before or after milling so as to form a slurry;

d) spray-drying the slurry so as to substantially remove the carrier and form dry cement particles;

e) depositing the cement particles in a defined region;

f) ink-jetting a liquid binder onto a predetermined area within the defined region such that upon contact of the liquid binder with the cement particles a hydrated cement forms in the predetermined area;

g) repeating steps e) through f) such that multiple layers of the cement are formed that are bound to one another, thereby forming the three dimensional object.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the slurry includes a poly acid, further including maintaining the pH of the slurry above a predetermined level by forming said slurry from a salt of poly(acrylic acid).

11. The method of claim 9, further including adding a base or a buffer to said slurry to maintain the pH of the slurry above a predetermined level.

12. A system for solid free-form fabrication of three-dimensional objects, comprising:

a spray-dried particulate composition including milled cement particles and a poly acid;

a platform configured for supporting at least a layer of the particulate composition in a predetermined region;

a liquid binder for hydrating at least a portion of the particulate composition to form a cement; and

a system for applying the aqueous liquid to the particulate in the predetermined region.

13. The freeform fabrication system as in claim 12 wherein the spray-dried particulate composition is made from a slurry having a pH greater than 6.

14. The freeform fabrication system as in claim 12 wherein the spray-dried particulate composition is made from a slurry.

15. The freeform fabrication system as in claim 12 wherein the spray-dried particulate composition includes an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

16. The freeform fabrication system as in claim 12 where the liquid binder includes an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

17. A freeform fabrication apparatus, comprising:

a liquid applicator;

a liquid binder composition;

a particle applicator; and

spray-dried particles, wherein the spray-dried particles comprise an inorganic phosphate cement and a poly acid.

18. A freeform fabrication apparatus as in claim 17 where the liquid binder includes an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

19. A freeform fabrication apparatus as in claim 17 where spray-dried particles include an active pharmaceutical ingredient.

20. A three-dimensional monolith, comprising multiple layers of cement deposited in contact with one another, each of said multiple layers of cement formed by applying a liquid binder to a spray-dried particulate composition comprising milled cement particles and a poly acid.

21. The three-dimensional monolith as in claim 20 wherein the liquid binder is applied using a drop-on-demand inkjet system.

22. The three-dimensional monolith as in claim 20 wherein the liquid binder is applied using an inkjet system.