ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADIENT DEGRADABLE TOOLS

• US 20170072471A1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Welch, John C., Xu, Zhiyue, Oxford, James Andy
• Granted Patent: US 10,059,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/16 Metallic particles coated with a non-metal coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/17 Metallic particles coated with metal
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/38 to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/44 characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2207/01 Composition gradients
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2207/13 Size gradients
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/0015 with only single oxides as main non-metallic constituents
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/0052 only carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/0068 only nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12056 Entirely inorganic

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an article comprises depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable; fusing the metallic powder according to a preset pattern; and adjusting a composition of the metallic powder or a condition to fuse the metallic powder or a combination thereof to additively form an article such that the article has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second portion: corrosion rate; tensile strength; compressive strength; modulus; or hardness.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:

depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable;

fusing the metallic powder according to a preset pattern; and

adjusting a composition of the metallic powder or a condition to fuse the metallic powder or a combination thereof to additively form an article such that the article has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second portion;

corrosion rate;

tensile strength;

compressive strength;

modulus;

or hardness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing and the fusing are carried out as part of a selective laser sintering process, a laser melting process, or a direct metal deposition process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein fusing the metallic powder comprises applying an energy beam from an energy source to the metallic powder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic powder is at least partially fused before deposited on the substrate or the worktable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic powder is fused after deposited on the substrate or the worktable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic powder comprises an uncoated metallic matrix particle and a second particle;

the metallic matrix particle comprising one or more of the following;

a magnesium-based alloy;

an aluminum-based alloy;

or a zinc-based alloy; and

the second particle comprising one or more of the following;

a metal;

an oxide of the metal;

a nitride of the metal;

or a cermet of the metal;

wherein the metal is W;

Co;

Cu;

Ni;

or Fe.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises changing the relative amounts of the metallic matrix particle and the second particle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises varying a particle size of the metallic matrix particle, varying a particle size of the second particle, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the metallic powder comprises a coated particle and optionally a second particle that is compositionally different from the coated particle;

the coated particle having a particle core with a nanoscale coating disposed thereon, wherein the nanoscale coating has a melting point different than a melting point of the particle core.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particle core comprises one or more of the following:

Mg;

Al;

Zn;

Mn, or an alloy thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the nanoscale coating comprises one or more of the following:

Al;

Zn;

Mn;

Mg;

Mo;

W;

Cu;

Fe;

Si;

Ca;

Co;

Ta;

Re;

or Ni;

an oxide thereof;

a carbide thereof;

or a nitride thereof.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second particle comprises one or more of the following:

Fe;

Ni;

Co;

W;

or Cu;

or oxides;

nitrides;

or carbides thereof.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises changing the relative amounts of the coated particle and the second particle.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting a composition of the metallic powder comprises varying a particle size of the metallic matrix particle, varying a particle size of the second particle, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a condition to fuse the metallic powder comprises fusing the metallic powder at an energy gradient.

16. A method of using an article, the method comprising:

forming an article according to a method of claim 1, the article comprising a first portion that is corrodible in a fluid at a first corrosion rate and a second portion that is corrodible in the fluid at a second corrosion rate, wherein the first corrosion rate is greater than the second corrosion rate;

using the article to perform a first operation;

exposing the article to the fluid;

selectively corroding the first portion of the article to provide a corroded article; and

using the corroded article to perform a second operation that is different from the first operation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the article is a downhole article, the fluid is a wellbore fluid, and the first and second operations are wellbore operations.

18. An article manufactured by the method of claim 1, wherein the article has a seamless structure encompassing an empty space.

19. An article comprising a plurality of micro-sized or nano-sized galvanic cells, wherein the article has a seamless structure encompassing an empty space.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein each of the micro-sized or nano-sized galvanic cells comprises an anode and a cathode,

the anode comprising one or more of the following:

a magnesium-based alloy;

an aluminum-based alloy;

a zinc-based alloy;

or a manganese-based alloy; and

the cathode comprising a metal;

an oxide of the metal;

a nitride of the metal;

or a cermet of the metal;

wherein the metal is one or more of the following;

W;

Co;

Cu;

Ni;

or Fe.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein the article is a hollow frac plug, a hollow ball, or a hollow ball seat.