# US 12,759,191 B2 · Methods of fabrication of graphite powder molds

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- Number: US 12,759,191 B2
- Document ID: US12759191B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/490,972
- Filed: 2023-10-20
- Published: 2024-05-30
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-11-29
- Assignees: Corning Incorporated
- Applicants: Corning Incorporated
- Inventors: Bethany Rose Conway; James Scott Sutherland; James William Zimmerman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759191B2

## CPC

- B28B 7/346: {Manufacture of moulds}
- B28B 7/0097: {Press moulds; Press-mould and press-ram assemblies}
- 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)

## Abstract

The disclosure relates to methods of fabricating of a graphite powder mold, including: applying a base layer to an exposed surface of a mold having one or more features; depositing a graphite powder onto the base layer to fill the one or more features; applying a cover layer onto an exposed surface of the graphite powder, wherein the cover layer and the base layer join at intersecting surfaces encasing the graphite powder to form the graphite powder mold having one or more raised features

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a graphite powder mold, comprising:
applying a base layer to an exposed surface of a mold having one or more features;
depositing a graphite powder onto the base layer to fill the one or more features;
applying a cover layer onto an exposed surface of the graphite powder, wherein the cover layer and the base layer join at intersecting surfaces encasing the graphite powder to form the graphite powder mold having one or more raised features;
curing the base layer prior to depositing graphite powder onto the layer; and
curing the cover layer after applying the cover layer onto the exposed surface of the graphite powder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the base layer and the cover layer comprise an adhesive material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the base layer or cover layer comprises graphite powder.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the adhesive material has a thickness of about 0.1 to about 1.0 mm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising curing the base layer and the cover layer simultaneously.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises a flexible graphite sheet having one or more features to match the one or more features of the mold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the cover layer comprises a flat flexible graphite sheet bonded to the base layer at intersecting surfaces by an adhesive material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the adhesive material comprises graphite powder.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein one of the base layer or the cover layer comprises an adhesive material and the other of the base layer or the cover layer comprises a flexible graphite sheet.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the base layer comprises an adhesive material and the cover layer comprises a flat flexible graphite sheet.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the base layer comprises a flexible graphite sheet having one or more features to match the one or more features of the mold and the cover layer comprises an adhesive material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the base layer comprises one of a paper material or a polymer material, the base layer having one or more features to match the one or more features of the mold, and wherein the cover layer comprises one of the paper material or the polymer material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
inserting the graphite powder mold into a hot-pressing die, wherein the graphite powder mold comprises a first surface having the one or more raised features and second surface opposite the first surface having one or more depressed features corresponding to the one or more raised features of the first surface,
pouring a first layer of fill material into the hot-pressing die, wherein the fill material at least covers the one or more raised features of the graphite powder mold,
applying a first pressure to the fill material in a direction perpendicular to the first surface,
applying a second pressure to the graphite powder mold in a direction perpendicular to the second surface while applying the first pressure, and
heating the fill material while applying the first pressure and second pressure to compress the fill material in a direction of the thickness of the fill material to form a final part.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
removing the final part from the hot-pressing die, and
removing the graphite powder mold to expose the features of the final part.