# US 11,993,840 B2 · Asynchronous conversion of metals to metal ceramics

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- Number: US 11,993,840 B2
- Document ID: US11993840B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/350,387
- Filed: 2021-06-17
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-17
- Assignees: Intalus, Inc.
- Applicants: Newsotech, Inc.
- Inventors: Peter Oestlund; Mats Vikstroem; Timothy Hamblin-Smith
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993840B2

## CPC

- C23C 14/5873: {Removal of material}
- C21D 1/06: Surface hardening
- C21D 1/09: by direct application of electrical or wave energy; by particle radiation
- C21D 9/46: for sheet metals
- C23C 4/08: containing only metal elements (C23C4/073 takes precedence)
- C23C 8/02: Pretreatment of the material to be coated (C23C8/04 takes precedence)
- C23C 8/24: Nitriding
- C23C 8/80: After-treatment
- C23C 14/16: on metallic substrates or on substrates of boron or silicon
- C23C 14/5806: {Thermal treatment}
- C23C 16/06: characterised by the deposition of metallic material
- C23C 16/56: After-treatment
- C23C 24/082: {without intermediate formation of a liquid in the layer}
- C23C 28/04: only coatings of inorganic non-metallic material
- C23C 28/322: {only coatings of metal elements only}
- C23C 28/343: {with at least one DLC or an amorphous carbon based layer, the layer being doped or not}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B)
- 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

## Abstract

A metal-ceramic article and method for creating the same is disclosed in which the article has undergone machining to remove outer surface volume. The intermediate layer of the article includes a gradient of a metal and metal-ceramic that diminishes toward a metal core.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for creating a metal ceramic article comprising:
providing a metal-oxide workpiece having an outer layer, with an outer layer depth, of a substantially isotropic metal-ceramic to a waste depth of said workpiece;
machining a target volume of said workpiece to shape said workpiece into a predetermined final article volume, composed of an original surface and a machined surface, having a substantially isotropic metal-ceramic surface; and
emitting directed energy upon said machined surface for spot travel surface and a duration sufficient to impart a comparable hardness between said original surface and said machined surface to result in (i) a core consisting of a metal; (ii) an intermediate layer, enveloping said core, consisting of a mixture of said metal and a ceramic of said metal arranged in a gradient of diminishing ceramic relative to said core; and (iii) an outer layer, enveloping said intermediate layer, consisting of said ceramic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said emitting step includes light-energization of said target volume.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said emitting step includes light-energization of said target volume using overlapping paths.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said emitting step includes pulse light-energization of said target volume.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein said emitting step includes a scrolling rate for a beam providing said light-energization at a rate in excess of 1 m/s.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said emitting step includes said scrolling rate in excess of 10 m/s.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said machining step includes machining said target volume to a waste depth greater than 50% of said outer layer depth.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein said machining step includes machining said target volume to a waste depth greater than 75% of said outer layer depth.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein said machining step includes machining said target volume to a waste depth greater than 75% of said outer layer depth.