Systems and methods for low temperature metal printing

US10648058B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy · US

Inventor

• Jonathan Phillips · Pacific Grove, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 22, 2018
• Grant date: May 12, 2020
• Expiry date: Mar 22, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/25
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A system and method of providing metal comprising objects via additive manufacturing techniques using an RES mixture. The RES process mixes a precursor compound and a chemical agent which thermally decomposes to form typically CO, H2, NHx, or some other reducing agent. Using the RES mixture, the additive manufacturing device reproduces an object from a sliced object model file layer-by-layer. Heat is applied to the patterned RES mixture to thermally decompose the chemical agent and reduce the precursor compound to a reduced metal species. This heating and reduction transforms the RES mixture from a general paste having little to no shear strength to an solid form exhibiting a much greater shear strength, allowing layer-by-layer generation of 3D object components.