HILL ARNOLD (US)
EASTER WILLIAM (US)
HILL ARNOLD (US)
AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 18 July 2018 (18.07.2018) 1. A process for forming a finished green body component, in an additive manufacturing system wherein the green body is converted to a bulk, monolithic ceramic composite, comprising the steps of: selecting a precursor resin; converting the precursor resin to beads; blending the precursor resin beads with a powder selected from at least one of a metal powder, a carbide powder, a ceramic powder and a mixture thereof; depositing a plurality of layers of the polymer precursor resin and powder blend in a bed; spraying each layer with photocurable or thermally curable resins; heating the layers and the entire bead bed with ultraviolet or infrared radiation to cure the resin mixture and form a finished green body component; and removing the finished green body component to a furnace to convert the green body to a solid, monolithic ceramic composite having a three-dimensional size wherein the height is between approximately 200 microns and approximately 1000 millimeters, the width is between approximately 200 microns and approximately 1000 millimeters, and a depth or thickness in a depth dimension is in a range between approximately 200 microns and approximately 25 millimeters (mm), 2. The process of Claim 1, wherein the depositing of the plurality of layers of the polymer precursor resin and powder blend is computer controlled. 3. The process of Claim 1 , wherein the precursor resin is selected from one of a liquid resin and a multiple of different precursor resins. 4. The process of Claim 1 , wherein the precursor resin is enhanced with a plurality of enhancement particles selected from the group consisting of graphite powder, diamond powder, carbides, silicides, nitrides, oxides, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof. 5. A process for forming a finished green body component, in an additive manufacturing system wherein the green body is converted to a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of: selecting a precursor resin; converting the precursor resin to beads; pre-wetting the precursor resin beads with a photocurable or a thermally curable resin; spreading the pre- wet beads in a plurality of layers; curing the layers or the entire bead bed with computer directed ultraviolet or infrared radiation to cure the resin and form a finished green body component; and removing the finished green body component to a furnace to convert the green body io a solid, monolithic ceramic composite. 6. The process of Claim 5, wherein the precursor resin is selected from one of a liquid resin and a multiple of different precursor resins. 7. The process of Claim 5, wherein the precursor resin is enhanced with a plurality of enhancement particles selected from the group consisting of graphite powder, diamond powder, carbides, silicides, nitrides, oxides, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof. 8. A process for forming a finished green body component in an additive manufacturing system wherein the green body is converted to a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of: selecting a precursor resin; converting the precursor resin to beads; making a paste or gel by mixing the precursor resin beads with a liquid pre-ceramic polymer which is selected from one of a photo curable or a thermally curable polymer; loading the paste or gel into computer controlled syringes which would deposit the paste or gel in a plurality of layers on a build surface in a selected pattern; curing each layer by flooding the build surface with ultraviolet or infrared radiation to cure the resin paste or gel and form a finished green body component; and removing the finished green body component to a furnace to convert the green body to a solid, monolithic ceramic composite. 9. The process of Claim 8, wherein the making of a paste or gel, the paste or gel is further mixed with a powder selected from at least one of a metal powder, a carbide powder, a ceramic powder and a mixture thereof. 10. The process of Claim 8, wherein the precursor resin is enhanced with a plurality of enhancement particles selected from the group consisting of graphite powder, diamond powder > carbides, silicides, nitrides, oxides, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof. 11. A process for forming a finished green body component, in an additive manufacturing system wherein the green body is converted to a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of; selecting a precursor resin; converting the precursor resin to beads; processing un-bonded individual pre-ceramic polymer beads in a furnace to convert the beads to a plurality of individual spherical ceramic beads; mixing the spherical ceramic beads with a brazing alloy paste to form a spreadable slurry; and processing the spreadable slurry via Selective Laser Melting (SLM) techniques to produce solid, monolithic ceramic composite components. 12. The process of Claim 11, wherein the precursor resin is selected from one of a liquid resin and a multiple of different precursor resins. 13. The process of Claim 11, wherein the precursor resin is enhanced with a plurality of enhancement particles selected from the group consisting of graphite powder, diamond powder, carbides, silicides, nitrides, oxides, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof. 14. The process of Claim 1 1, wherein the spreadable slurry of brazing alloy and spherical ceramic beads is further mixed with a powder selected from at least one of a metal powder, a carbide powder, a ceramic powder and a mixture thereof. 15. The process of Claim 14, wherein processing the spreadable slurry with Selective Laser Melting (SLM) produces ceramic-metallic composite components. 16. A process for forming a finished green body component, in an additive manufacturing system wherein the green body is converted to a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of: selecting a precursor resin; converting the precursor resin to beads; processing un-bonded individual pre-ceramic polymer beads in a furnace to convert the beads to a plurality of individual spherical ceramic beads; mixing the spherical ceramic beads with a glass powder paste to form a spreadable slurry; and processing the spreadable slurry via Selective Laser Melting (SLM) techniques to melt the glass paste, which, on cooling, produces solid, monolithic ceramic-glass composite components. 17. The process of Claim 16, wherein the precursor resin is selected from one of a liquid resin and a multiple of different precursor resins. 18. The process of Claim 16, wherein the precursor resin is enhanced with a plurality of enhancement particles selected from the group consisting of graphite powder, diamond powder, carbides, silicides, nitrides, oxides, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof. 19. The process of Claim 16, wherein the spreadable slurry of glass powder paste and spherical ceramic beads is further mixed with a powder selected from at least one of a metal powder, a carbide powder, a ceramic powder and a mixture thereof. 20. The process of Claim 19, wherein processing the spreadable slurry with Selective Laser Melting (SLM) produces ceramic-glass-metallic composite components. |