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US 5,332,537 AGranted
Method and binder for use in powder molding
AssigneePCC Airfoils, Inc.
InventorsKarl F. Hens, Donald M. Kupp, Ricky A. Alexander, Karl-Heinz Schofalvi
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AssigneePCC Airfoils, Inc.
InventorsKarl F. Hens, Donald M. Kupp, Ricky A. Alexander, Karl-Heinz Schofalvi
Estimating the term…
An improved binder is mixed with powder to form feedstock for molding. The binder includes a first component which is soluble in water and a second component which is insoluble in water. The two binder components are miscible with each other in a liquid state. The two binder components form a uniform heterogeneous mixture when mixed in a liquid state. The binder is mixed with a suitable powder to form the feedstock. The feedstock is molded to form a compact. Polymer units of the binder are cross linked after the compact has been formed. The cross linking of the polymer units of a component of the binder is accomplished by exposing the compact to ultraviolet radiation or by the use of a catalyst. The compact is partially debound by exposing the compact to water, that is, to a water based solvent. Thereafter, the compact is further debound to remove the component which is insoluble in water. The powder is then sintered to form an article.
A method comprising the steps of forming a binder, said step of forming a binder including forming a uniform mixture by mixing a first binder component which is soluble in water and a second binder component which is insoluble in water, mixing the binder and a powder, molding the powder and binder mixture to form a compact, partially debinding the compact by at least partially removing the first component of the binder from the compact, said step of at least partially debinding the compact including exposing the compact to water, thereafter, further debinding the compact to at least partially remove the second component of the binder, sintering the powder in the compact to form an article, and cross linking polymer units of the insoluble binder component which is adjacent to the surface of the compact while leaving the polymer units of the insoluble binder component in the interior of the compact substantially free of polymer cross linking, said step of cross linking polymer units of the binder being performed after performance of said step of molding the powder and binder mixture and prior to performance of said step of sintering the powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.