Method of freeform fabrication by selective gelation of powder suspensions
AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute
InventorsSuresh Baskaran, Gordon L. Graff
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Abstract
The present invention is a novel method for freeform fabrication. Specifically, the method of solid freeform fabrication has the steps of: (a) preparing a slurry by mixing powder particles with a suspension medium and a gelling polysaccharide; (b) making a layer by depositing an amount of said powder slurry in a confined region; (c) hardening a selected portion of the layer by applying a gelling agent to the selected portion; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) to make successive layers and forming a layered object. In many applications, it is desirable to remove unhardened material followed by heating to remove gellable polysaccharide then sintering.
Claims37
A method of solid freeform fabrication having the steps of (a) making a layer of unhardened ceramic material, (b) hardening selected portions of said layer, (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) and forming a layered object, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing said unhardened ceramic material by mixing powder particles with a suspension medium containing a gelling polysaccharide and forming a powder slurry;
- (b) making said layer by depositing an amount of said powder slurry in a confined region;
- and wherein
- (c) said hardening is accomplished by applying a gelling agent to said selected portions.
A method of solid freeform fabrication, comprising the steps of:
- (a) mixing powder particles with a suspension medium and a gelling polysaccharide and forming a powder slurry;
- (b) making a layer by depositing an amount of said powder slurry in a confined region;
- (c) hardening a selected portion of the layer by applying a gelling agent to said selected portion;
- and
- (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) to make successive layers and forming a hardened layered object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.