# US 12,109,644 B2 · Method of manufacturing metal articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,644 B2 - Document ID: US12109644B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/395,714 - Filed: 2021-08-06 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Applicants: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Inventors: Eric Karlen; William Louis Wentland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109644B2 ## CPC - B23K 15/0093: {characterised by the properties of the materials to be welded} - B22F 1/17: Metallic particles coated with metal - B22F 9/04: starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) - B23K 15/002: {Devices involving relative movement between electron beam and workpiece} - B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding} - B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)} - B23K 26/0853: {Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least two axial directions, e.g. in a plane} - B23K 26/342: Build-up welding - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B23K 2103/10: Aluminium or alloys thereof - B23K 2103/16: Composite materials - B23K 2103/166: {Multilayered materials} - B23K 2103/52: {Ceramics} - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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 - 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 - 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 A method for making an article is disclosed. According to the method, a digital model of the article is generated. The digital model is inputted into an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising an energy source. The additive manufacturing apparatus applies energy from the energy source to successively applied incremental quantities of a powder to fuse the powder to form the article corresponding to the digital model. The powder particles individually include a composite core including a first phase of a first metal and a second phase of a ceramic. A first shell including a second metal is disposed over the core. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising: fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic; infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal; solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal; mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic; and forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles, wherein the second metal comprises aluminum. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second metal of the first shell further comprises silicon alloyed or in solid solution with the aluminum. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first shell comprises from 0.5 to 13 wt. % silicon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the second shell comprises silicon, zirconium, or a rare earth element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell. ### Claim 8 A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising: fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic; infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal; solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal; mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic, and forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles, wherein the first shell comprises between 0.5 to 13 wt. % silicon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second metal comprises aluminum. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell. ### Claim 13 A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising: fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic; infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal; solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal; mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic, and forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles, forming a second shell over the first shell, the second shell having a reflectivity less than that of the first shell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second shell comprises silicon, zirconium, or a rare earth element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity. ### Claim 16 A method for making a metal-ceramic composite powder, comprising: fabricating a porous pre-form comprising a ceramic; infiltrating the porous ceramic pre-form with a liquid comprising a first metal; solidifying the liquid to form a solid composite structure comprising ceramic and metal; mechanically breaking down the solid composite structure to form composite powder particles comprising the first metal and the ceramic; forming a first shell comprising a second metal on the powder particles; and forming a second shell comprising 50-100 wt. % silicon over the first shell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein fabricating the porous pre-form comprises sintering particles comprising a ceramic under temperature and pressure conditions to achieve a target porosity.