# US 10,478,894 B2 · Carbon as an aide for ductile nanocellular foam

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- Number: US 10,478,894 B2
- Document ID: US10478894B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/232,149
- Filed: 2016-08-09
- Published: 2018-02-15
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Jose L. Santana; Weina Li; Michael J. Birnkrant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478894B2

## CPC

- B22F 3/002: {Manufacture of articles essentially made from metallic fibres}
- B01D 39/2044: {sintered or bonded by inorganic agents}
- B01D 39/2058: {the material being particulate}
- B01J 23/755: Nickel
- B01J 35/58: Fabrics or filaments
- B01J 37/0225: {of metal substrates}
- B01J 37/031: {Precipitation}
- B01J 37/084: {Decomposition of carbon-containing compounds into carbon}
- B22F 3/1007: {Atmosphere (B22F3/1021 takes precedence)}
- B22F 3/11: Making porous workpieces or articles
- B22F 3/1103: {with particular physical characteristics}
- B22F 3/1143: {involving an oxidation, reduction or reaction step}
- B22F 5/04: of turbine blades
- B01D 2239/025: comprising nanofibres
- B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## Abstract

A method of fabricating an article includes providing an arrangement of loose nanowires and bonding the loose nanowires in the presence of carbon together into a unitary cellular structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of fabricating an article comprising:
arranging nanowires into an assembly;
prior to the bonding, forming the assembly of nanowires into a geometry of an end-use article;
depositing the assembly of nanowires into a mold;
compressing said assembly of nanowires in said mold to consolidate said nanowires;
placing said assembly into a furnace; and
after the compression step, bonding the nanowires together into a unitary cellular structure in the presence of carbon, introducing the carbon by a gas containing carbon into the furnace, wherein said bonding is done in an environment having the gas containing carbon that reacts with the nanowires to alter the composition of the nanowires and the surfaces of the nanowires that are in contact with each other to permanently bond together at nodes, such that cores of the nanowires remain solid and support the unitary cellular structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein said bonding is performed by thermal sintering said nanowires.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires are nickel or a nickel alloy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein the assembly of nanowires includes nanowires of differing compositions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires are a pure metal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires are a ceramic material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas containing carbon comprises H2+N2, and C source.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas containing carbon comprises methane gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
introducing said carbon via pyrolysis of a polymer.

### Claim 10

A method of fabricating an article, the method comprising:
providing a dispersion of nanowires in a first carrier fluid;
combining the dispersion with a solution including at least one alloy element in a second carrier fluid;
removing the first carrier fluid and the second carrier fluid to provide an arrangement of dry, loose nanowires including the at least one alloy element;
prior to the bonding, forming the dry, loose nanowires into a geometry of an end-use article
depositing the arrangement of nanowires into a mold;
compressing said arrangement of nanowires in said mold to consolidate said nanowires;
placing said assembly into a furnace; and
after the compression step, bonding in a furnace in the presence of carbon, the arrangement of nanowires together into a unitary cellular structure, introducing the carbon by a gas containing carbon into the furnace, wherein said bonding is done in an environment having the gas containing carbon that reacts with the nanowires to alter the composition of the nanowires and the surfaces of the nanowires that are in contact with each other to permanently bond together at nodes, such that cores of the nanowires remain solid and support the unitary cellular structure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires are metallic.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires are selected from the group consisting of a nickel alloy, ceramic, Fe-based material, Mo-based material, Co-based material, nitrides and the like.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the bonding includes thermal sintering.