# US 11,920,220 B2 · High carbon content cobalt-based alloy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,920,220 B2 - Document ID: US11920220B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/978,658 - Filed: 2022-11-01 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-03-05 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14 - Assignees: VBN Components AB - Applicants: Vbn Components AB - Inventors: Ulrik Beste - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11920220B2 ## CPC - C22C 19/07: based on cobalt - B22F 1/05: Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles - B22F 1/065: Spherical particles - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber - B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) - B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials - C22C 30/00: Alloys containing less than 50% by weight of each constituent - B22F 10/362: for preheating - B22F 10/66: by mechanical means - B22F 2005/001: {Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware} - B22F 2301/15: Nickel or cobalt - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - 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 - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention relates to a 3D-printed cobalt-based alloy product comprising carbon, tungsten and chromium with very good mechanical and thermal properties as well as a method of preparing the 3D-printed product and a powder alloy. The alloy has a high carbon content leading to high carbide content but small and evenly distributed carbides. A method facilitating 3D printing of high carbide content alloys such as the present alloy is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A 3D-printed product made of an alloy comprising a metal matrix and grains of carbides embedded in the metal matrix; wherein the alloy comprises Carbon: greater than 3.5 and equal to or less than 5 weight %, Tungsten: equal to or greater than 18 and equal to or less than 30 weight %, Chromium: equal to or greater than 15 and equal to or less than 24 weight % Cobalt: at least 40 weight %; and wherein the sum of the chromium and tungsten is 36 to 48 wt %; wherein the alloy has a melting point of less than 1750° C. but higher than 1300° C.; and wherein the hardness of the 3D-printed product is at least 800 HV. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the sum of tungsten and chromium content is equal to or lower than 46 weight %. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the alloy further comprises 1 to 3 weight % of at least one of niobium, nickel, manganese, silicon and iron. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the cobalt content is equal to or greater than 50 weight %. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the alloys comprises Carbon: greater than 3.5 and equal to or less than 4.1 weight %, Tungsten: equal to or greater than 20 and equal to or less than 24 weight %, Chromium: equal to or greater than 19 and equal to or less than 22 weight % Cobalt: at least 40 weight %; and wherein the sum of the chromium and tungsten is 41 to 44 wt %. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the combined content of carbon, tungsten, chromium and cobalt is equal to or greater than 98 weight %. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the alloy does not comprise carbides larger than 10 μm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the product has a fracture toughness measured as total crack length of 350 μm or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the melting temperature is 1350° C. or higher. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the product has a cavity or a curved channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The product according to claim 10 wherein the cavity is sealed or has an opening wherein the diameter of the opening is less than the diameter of the sealing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the total combined content of carbon, tungsten, chromium and cobalt is equal to or greater than 98 weight % of the total content of the alloy. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the alloy has a carbide content of at least 60 vol %. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The product according to claim 1 wherein the product is a cutter, milling cutter, power skiving cutter or a drill.