Soluble CaO Ceramic Shell/Core for Easier 3DP De-Shelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ceramic shell/core materials for titanium alloy casting, such as ZrO2, Y2O3, and CaO, are expensive and difficult to remove post-casting, with CaO materials prone to water absorption and agglomeration, hindering efficient 3DP processing.
Innovation Solution
A soluble ceramic shell/core made from modified CaO, prepared through ball milling, sieving, and sintering, which dissolves in water for easy removal and features a low-cost, environmentally friendly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ceramic materials (ZrO2, Y2O3) are used for ceramic shells/cores, then interfacial reaction with titanium alloy is avoided, but production cost greatly increases and post-casting removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs CaO as a low-cost, disposable ceramic material that serves its function during casting and then dissolves easily in water after casting, eliminating the need for expensive materials like ZrO2 or Y2O3 while simplifying post-casting removal through water dissolution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies CaO through surface treatment and composite formulation to change its properties, making it resistant to interfacial reaction with titanium alloy while maintaining its water-soluble characteristic for easy removal, thus achieving both reliability and ease of manufacture
2Ease of operation
If CaO is used for ceramic shells/cores, then post-casting removal is simplified through hydrolysis, but powder agglomeration occurs during 3DP printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an organic binder and uses surface treatment agents as intermediaries to prevent CaO powder agglomeration during 3DP printing, while maintaining the hydrolysis property for easy post-casting removal through water dissolution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ceramic material system combining CaO with organic binders and surface treatment agents, achieving both printability during manufacturing and water solubility for easy removal after casting
3Ease of manufacture
If unmodified CaO is used for 3DP printing, then material cost is low, but powder bed processing becomes difficult due to water absorption and agglomeration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses low-cost CaO as a disposable material that is modified only to the extent necessary for 3DP processing, maintaining its water-soluble nature for easy removal while enabling efficient printing through surface treatment and composite formulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies physical and chemical parameters of CaO through surface treatment and composite formulation to prevent agglomeration during printing, while preserving the low material cost and water-soluble characteristics for easy post-casting removal
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
The modified CaO ceramic shell/core allows for efficient 3DP manufacturing with reduced production costs, simplified de-shelling, and recyclable Ca(OH)2 products, suitable for industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
A ceramic shell/core material uses CaO and is directly dissolved in water, thus the ceramic shell/core collapses, and separates from a casting easily
Implementation Method 2
due to a characteristic of the CaO material being prone to water absorption and agglomeration in the air
Implementation Method 3
performing ball milling and drying on a raw material containing calcium oxide and a modifying solution
Implementation Method 4
sintering the ceramic shell/core blank to obtain the soluble ceramic shell/core
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure proposes a soluble ceramic shell/core and a preparation method and an application, and belongs to the technical field related to rapid casting. The preparation method includes the following steps: step S1: performing ball milling and drying on a raw material containing calcium oxide and a modifying solution to obtain a modified calcium oxide powder; step S2: printing the modified calcium oxide powder into a ceramic shell/core primary blank, and performing heat curing, infiltration and drying to obtain a ceramic shell/core blank; and step S3: sintering the ceramic shell/core blank to obtain the soluble ceramic shell/core. The present disclosure prepares the ceramic shell/core by a 3DP molding process, which is simple in procedure and short in production cycle, and does not need support, wherein solubility of the calcium oxide, after casting, makes it easier for a casting to be de-shelled. In addition, the raw material during a sintering process cannot be decomposed, which reduces shrinkage during the sintering process and can meet requirements for molding a large and complex structural ceramic shell/core.