Ferrous Powder Binder Jetting via Supersolidus Sintering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional binder jet additive manufacturing (BJAM) of metal parts using water atomized iron powders requires post-printing infiltration to achieve high densities and limited final properties, making it challenging to produce complex, high-hardness, wear-resistant components efficiently.

Innovation Solution

The method involves printing a powder blend of water atomized base iron powder and master ferroalloy powder using BJAM, followed by super solidus sintering to densify and enhance the microstructure, achieving high hardness and wear resistance without the need for secondary operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If water atomized iron powder is used for BJAM processes, then production cost is reduced, but post-printing infiltration is required to achieve high densities

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedensityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-blending master ferroalloy powder with water atomized iron powder before printing. This pre-preparation of the powder blend ensures that all necessary alloying elements are present from the start, eliminating the need for post-printing infiltration operations while achieving the desired high density and material properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by creating a powder blend consisting of water atomized iron powder combined with master ferroalloy powder. This composite powder formulation integrates multiple material functions into a single printable mixture, enabling direct production of high-density components with targeted alloy compositions without requiring secondary infiltration processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If conventional casting or machining is used for wear resistant components, then high hardness (50-65 HRC) is achieved, but complex features are difficult to manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovehardnessVSAvoidmanufacturability of complex features

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing super solidus sintering temperatures (above the solidus line of the alloy system) to achieve complete densification and formation of hard microstructures. This thermal parameter change enables the production of components with hardness levels comparable to conventionally processed materials (50-65 HRC) while simultaneously enabling complex geometries that would be difficult or impossible to cast or machine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If gas atomized iron powder is used for additive manufacturing, then high quality components are produced, but production cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent qualityVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by replacing expensive gas atomized iron powder with cheaper water atomized iron powder combined with master ferroalloy powder. The cost-effective powder blend achieves comparable or superior component quality through controlled blending and super solidus sintering, significantly reducing material costs while maintaining or improving component reliability and performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach facilitates the production of complex, high-density, high-hardness metallic components with improved wear resistance, reducing production costs by eliminating the need for expensive specialized powders and post-printing infiltration, while enabling the manufacture of components like slurry pump rotors and drill sections with enhanced properties.

Implementation Method 1

binder jet additive manufacture printing a powder blend to form a printed part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Implementation Method 2

super solidus sintering the printed part to form the metallic component

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Implementation Method 3

super solidus sintering

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 4

the sintering densifies the metallic component

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDensification:

Data Source

PatentUS11465209B2Binder jetting and supersolidus sintering of ferrous powder metal components

Publication Date: 2022.10.11 STACKPOLE INT POWDER METAL ULC

AI summary

A densified, high-strength metallic component is manufactured by: binder jet additive manufacture (BJAM) printing a powder blend to form a printed part; and super solidus sintering the printed part to form the metallic component, which may then be heat treated. The powder blend comprises a blend of water atomized base iron powder and a high-carbon master ferroalloy powder. The high-carbon ferroalloy powder introduces high concentrations of carbon into a powder blend that is readily BJAM printable.