US 12,338,512 B2
Feedstocks for additive manufacturing, and methods of using the same
John H. Martin, Oxnard, CA (US); and Brennan D. Yahata, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Assigned to HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed by HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed on May 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/316,129.
Application 17/316,129 is a division of application No. 15/996,438, filed on Jun. 2, 2018, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/540,615, filed on Aug. 3, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0277502 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. C22C 21/10 (2006.01); B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B23K 26/144 (2014.01); B23K 26/342 (2014.01); B23K 35/28 (2006.01); B32B 15/01 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); C22C 9/00 (2006.01); C22C 14/00 (2006.01); C22C 19/03 (2006.01); C22C 21/06 (2006.01); C22C 23/00 (2006.01); B23K 26/34 (2014.01); B23K 26/354 (2014.01); B23K 103/08 (2006.01); B23K 103/10 (2006.01); B23K 103/14 (2006.01)
CPC C22C 21/10 (2013.01) [B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B23K 26/144 (2015.10); B23K 26/342 (2015.10); B23K 35/288 (2013.01); B32B 15/016 (2013.01); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 2301/052 (2013.01); B22F 2301/058 (2013.01); B22F 2301/10 (2013.01); B22F 2301/205 (2013.01); B22F 2301/30 (2013.01); B23K 26/34 (2013.01); B23K 26/354 (2015.10); B23K 2103/08 (2018.08); B23K 2103/10 (2018.08); B23K 2103/14 (2018.08); B23K 2103/15 (2018.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); C22C 9/00 (2013.01); C22C 14/00 (2013.01); C22C 19/03 (2013.01); C22C 21/06 (2013.01); C22C 23/00 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making an additively manufactured metal component, said method comprising:
(a) providing a metal-containing feedstock comprising (i) a high-vapor-pressure metal, (ii) grain-refining nanoparticles, and (iii) at least one base metal species chemically different than said high-vapor-pressure metal and chemically different than said grain-refining nanoparticles, wherein said grain-refining nanoparticles are surface-functionalized, via a continuous coating or an intermittent coating, onto said at least one base metal species;
(b) exposing a first amount of said metal-containing feedstock to an energy source for melting said first amount of said metal-containing feedstock, thereby generating a first melt layer;
(c) solidifying said first melt layer, thereby generating a first solid layer of an additively manufactured metal component; and
(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) a plurality of times to generate a plurality of solid layers by sequentially solidifying a plurality of melt layers in an additive-manufacturing build direction,
wherein each of said plurality of solid layers of said additively manufactured metal component has a microstructure with equiaxed grains,
wherein each of said plurality of solid layers of said additively manufactured metal component has a substantially crack-free microstructure, and
wherein said metal-containing feedstock contains a higher concentration of said high-vapor-pressure metal compared to the concentration of said high-vapor-pressure metal in each of said plurality of solid layers, and wherein an enrichment ratio of wt % concentration of said high-vapor-pressure metal in said metal-containing feedstock to wt % concentration of said high-vapor-pressure metal in each of said plurality of solid layers is at least 1.05.