Methods for preparation of three-dimensional bodies

• US 7,387,757 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Ceramics Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Gafner, Felix H., Artz, Gregory J., Rigali, Mark J., Vaidyanathan, K. Ranji, Mulligan, Anthony C., Sutaria, Manish P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOPEZ, CARLOS N
• Application Number:
  US10/880,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20040238999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 264/640, 264/172.15, 264/638, 264/241, 264/308, 419/65, 419/67
• US Class Current: 264/241
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/062 Fibrous particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/10 Formation of a green body
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/64 by thermal means control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2203/01 To-be-deleted with administrative transfer to B22F2203/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/004 Filling molds with powder feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/10 Sintering only
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/14 simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/15 Hot isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/20 by extruding
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/0081 Process control
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/20 wherein the material is extruded extrusion moulding of plastics B29C48/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/006 Pressing and sintering powders, granules or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3826 Silicon carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3839 : Refractory metal carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/524 : Non-oxidic, e.g. borides, carbides, silicides or nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6021 : Extrusion moulding
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/77 : Density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/96 : Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5622 : based on zirconium or hafnium carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6286 : Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6303 : Inorganic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/632 : Organic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/634 : Polymers C04B35/636 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/638 : Removal thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/645 : Pressure sintering
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6455 : Hot isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 : Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/18 : Oxygen-containing compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 : Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]

Abstract

Processes for mechanically fabricating two and three-dimensional fibrous monolith composites include preparing a fibrous monolith filament from a core composition of a first powder material and a boundary material of a second powder material. The filament includes a first portion of the core composition surrounded by a second portion of the boundary composition. One or more filaments are extruded through a mechanically-controlled deposition nozzle onto a working surface to create a fibrous monolith composite object. The objects may be formed directly from computer models and have complex geometries.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating a green fibrous monolith composite article comprising:

providing a first formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof;

providing a second formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof;

forming a feed rod from the first and second powder compositions;

compressing the feed rod into a green filament; and

depositing the filament through a deposition nozzle in a controlled manner onto an associated surface in a directed orientation, by mechanically manipulating at least one of the deposition nozzle and the surface, to form a green fibrous monolith composite article.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second powders are selected from the group consisting of metal, metal alloy, carbide, nitride, boride, oxide, phosphate and silicide.

3. The process of claim 1 comprising

providing a third formable powder composition;

the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof; and

forming the feed rod from the first, second and third powder compositions.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein in the green fibrous monolith composite article the second powder composition forms a separation matrix for maintaining the first powder composition as one or more discrete portions.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the feed rod includes a central portion including the first powder composition, the central portion extending longitudinally through the length of the feed rod, and an outer portion including the second powder composition, the outer portion generally surrounding the central portion.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the particle size distribution of the first and second powders is between about 0.01 to about 100 microns.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the particle size distribution of the first and second powders is between about 1 to about 10 microns.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the green fibrous monolith composite article is formed of a continuous fibrous monolith feed rod.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the feed rod is compressed by extruding the feed rod.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the extruded feed rod is deposited in layers onto the surface.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein a computer modeling program guides the deposition of the filament onto the surface in forming the green fibrous monolith composite article from the filament.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the filament is deposited with its axis generally parallel to the surface.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein two or more feed rods are bundled and compressed at least once to form a multifilament fiber and wherein the green fibrous monolith composite article is formed of the multifilament fiber.

14. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a drawing of a desired composite object and separating the drawing into a plurality of segments utilizing a computer-aided design program;

generating input signals based on the drawing for directing the at least one of the deposition nozzle and the surface for depositing the green filament onto the surface, wherein the at least one of the deposition nozzle and the surface is manipulated in response to the signals.

15. The process of claim 1 further including subjecting the green fibrous monolith composite article to compression forces at a pressure, temperature and time effective for reducing porosity to provide a laminated green fibrous monolith composite article.

16. The process of claim 1 further including heating the green fibrous monolith composite article at a temperature and for a time effective for consolidating the green fibrous monolith composite article to provide a fully dense fibrous monolith composite object.

17. A process for fabricating a green fibrous monolith composite article comprising:

providing a first formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof;

providing a second formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof;

forming a feed rod from the first and second powder compositions;

compressing the feed rod into a green filament; and

depositing the filament in a controlled manner onto an associated surface in a directed orientation to form a green fibrous monolith composite article, wherein a computer modeling program guides the deposition of the filament onto the surface in forming the green fibrous monolith composite article from the filament.

18. A process for fabricating a green fibrous monolith composite article comprising:

providing a first formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof

providing a second formable powder composition, the powder selected from the group consisting of ceramic powder, metallic powder, ceramic-metallic powder, diamond powder, graphite powder and combinations thereof;

forming a feed rod from the first and second powder compositions;

compressing the feed rod into a green filament;

depositing the filament in a controlled manner onto an associated surface in a directed orientation to form a green fibrous monolith composite article;

creating a drawing of a desired composite object and separating the drawing into a plurality of segments utilizing a computer-aided design program; and

generating input signals based on the drawing for directing a movable assembly for depositing the green filament onto the surface, wherein the movable assembly is controlled and guided in response to the signals.