US 12,257,623 B2
Additive manufacturing techniques using noble metals and/or copper metal and related methods and compositions
Ilya L. Rushkin, Acton, MA (US); Shannon Lee Taylor, Westford, MA (US); Yun Bai, Burlington, MA (US); and John Reidy, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Desktop Metal, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by Desktop Metal, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/109,306.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/943,143, filed on Dec. 3, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0162502 A1, Jun. 3, 2021
Int. Cl. B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 3/10 (2006.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.01); B29K 33/04 (2006.01); B29K 105/24 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/14 (2021.01) [B22F 3/1007 (2013.01); B22F 3/1021 (2013.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B22F 2201/10 (2013.01); B22F 2201/20 (2013.01); B22F 2301/10 (2013.01); B22F 2301/255 (2013.01); B29K 2033/04 (2013.01); B29K 2105/24 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of additive manufacturing a metal-based composite structure by binder jet printing, the method comprising:
depositing a first layer of metal powder, the metal powder comprising a noble metal and/or copper;
depositing a binder composition on at least a portion of the first layer of metal powder, the binder composition comprising a solution of water and a polymer dissolved in the water, the polymer including an acrylic acid repeat unit that makes up greater than or equal to 30 mol % of the repeat units within the polymer, wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight of greater than or equal to 500 Da and less than or equal to 40 kDa, and wherein the wt % of the polymer in the binder composition is greater than or equal to 1 wt % and less than or equal to 40 wt %; and
curing the deposited binder composition and the deposited first layer of the metal powder by cross-linking at least the polymer of the binder composition deposited on the first layer of the metal powder, thereby forming a metal-based composite structure.