# US 11,993,002 B2 · Additive manufacture-assisted method for making structural elements having controlled failure characteristics

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- Number: US 11,993,002 B2
- Document ID: US11993002B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/337,853
- Filed: 2023-06-20
- Published: 2023-10-19
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-14
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company; William Marsh Rice University
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company; William Marsh Rice University
- Inventors: Seyed Mohammad Sajadi; Ashok Kumar Meiyazhagan; Peter Boul; Muhammad Rahman; Carl Thaemlitz; Pulickel Ajayan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993002B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
- 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)}
- B28B 7/342: {which are at least partially destroyed, e.g. broken, molten, before demoulding; Moulding surfaces or spaces shaped by, or in, the ground, or sand or soil, whether bound or not; Cores consisting at least mainly of sand or soil, whether bound or not}
- B28B 7/346: {Manufacture of moulds}
- B28B 7/348: {of plastic material or rubber}
- B28B 23/02: wherein the elements are reinforcing members {(B28B23/0006 takes precedence)}
- B32B 13/12: of synthetic resin
- B32B 27/306: {comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- 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
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- C04B 26/02: Macromolecular compounds
- C04B 41/009: {characterised by the material treated}
- C04B 41/48: Macromolecular compounds
- C09K 8/42: Compositions for cementing, e.g. for cementing casings into boreholes; Compositions for plugging, e.g. for killing wells (compositions for plastering C09K8/50)
- E21B 47/005: Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level
- B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
- B29K 2029/04: {PVOH, i.e. polyvinyl alcohol (B29K2031/04 takes precedence)}
- B29K 2105/0079: {Liquid crystals}
- B29L 2031/757: {Moulds, cores, dies}
- B32B 2307/202: Conductive
- B32B 2315/06: Concrete
- C04B 7/02: Portland cement
- C04B 2111/00181: {Mixtures specially adapted for three-dimensional printing (3DP), stereo-lithography or prototyping}
- C04B 2111/00612: {as one or more layers of a layered structure}
- E21B 2200/01: Sealings characterised by their shape
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- 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
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A process for making a layered multi-material structural element having controlled mechanical failure characteristics. The process includes the steps of: supplying a cementitious layer and forming a polymer layer on the cementitious layer by additive manufacture such that the polymer layer has a first thickness and the cementitious layer has a second thickness, wherein the polymer layer comprises a polymer and the cementitious layer comprises a cementitious material; and allowing the polymer from the polymer layer to suffuse into the cementitious layer for a period of time to obtain a suffused zone in the cementitious layer such that the suffused zone has a third thickness that is less than half the second thickness.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for making a multi-material structural element having controlled mechanical failure characteristics, the process comprising the steps of:
supplying a loaded projecting member and a soluble retaining member on the loaded projecting member, wherein the loaded projecting member comprises a polymer and is loaded with potential mechanical energy, and wherein the soluble retaining member is at least partially soluble in a cement slurry;
contacting the soluble retaining member with a cement slurry such that the soluble retaining member is at least partially dissolved and the loaded projecting member is released and projects into the cement slurry to form a released projecting member; and
curing the cement slurry such that a suffused zone is formed where the released projecting member contacts the cement slurry polymer to obtain the multi-material structural element having controlled mechanical failure characteristics.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multi-material structural element of claim 1, wherein the loaded projecting member comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polylactic acid, liquid crystal elastomer, and combinations of the same.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The multi-material structural element of claim 1, wherein the soluble retaining member comprises an alkaline-sensitive polymer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The multi-material structural element of claim 1, wherein the soluble retaining member comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polylactic acid, and combinations of the same.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The multi-material structural element of claim 1, wherein the soluble retaining member comprises a water-sensitive polymer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The multi-material structural element of claim 1, wherein the soluble retaining member has a thickness that is between 1 micrometer and 20 centimeters.