Sintering Support Material for Dental Workpiece Oxidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sintering apparatuses face challenges in preventing unwanted deformation and discoloration of workpieces due to shrinkage and oxidation during high-temperature sintering, while also consuming excessive protective gas.
Innovation Solution
The protective gas is fed through a supporting material, which filters out foreign gases and creates a clean atmosphere around the workpiece, using materials with a high affinity for oxygen to absorb residual oxygen and prevent oxidation, thereby ensuring high-quality sintering with reduced gas consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the workpiece is completely surrounded and covered by sintering granules, then the workpiece is protected from oxidation, but the shrinkage of the workpiece during sintering is hindered, leading to unwanted deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The sintering granules are divided into two functional zones: a first layer of granules that do not adhere to the workpiece surface (allowing shrinkage), and a second layer of granules that adhere to the workpiece surface ( providing oxidation protection). This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the conflicting requirements of allowing shrinkage and preventing oxidation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the workpiece is embedded completely in the supporting material, then the workpiece is stable during sintering, but the protective gas consumption increases and oxidation cannot be effectively prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting material is configured to provide localized support only where needed (at the base of the workpiece), while the upper portions of the workpiece remain exposed to the protective gas atmosphere. This local quality approach maintains workpiece stability during sintering while allowing effective oxidation protection with reduced gas consumption.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a large amount of protective gas is used to ensure clean atmosphere, then oxidation is prevented, but the cost and gas consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Sintering granules with oxygen-binding capacity serve as an intermediary between the protective gas and the workpiece. These granules actively bind residual oxygen in the atmosphere, reducing the required protective gas flow rate while maintaining effective oxidation protection. This mediator approach reduces gas consumption while preserving oxidation prevention.
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 effectively prevents unwanted deformation and discoloration of workpieces during high-temperature sintering, achieving high-quality results while minimizing protective gas consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the gas stream fed to the workpiece undergoes further cleaning in the supporting material in the direct vicinity of the workpiece to be sintered, whereby foreign gases that disturb the sintering operation are filtered out from the gas stream fed to the workpiece
Implementation Method 2
using materials with a high affinity for oxygen to absorb residual oxygen and prevent oxidation
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement (1) including at least one workpiece (2) for sintering, more particularly a dental workpiece, and having at least one support material (3), and including a sintering apparatus (4) for sintering the workpiece (2), wherein the sintering apparatus (4) has at least one gas inlet duct (5) for protective gas and at least one base surface (6), and the workpiece (2) lies on the base surface (6) on the support material (3) and protrudes at least partially beyond the support material (3), wherein the protective gas can be supplied to the workpiece (2) preferably exclusively through the support material (3).