Powder mixture for use in the manufacture of a three-dimensional object by means of an additive manufacturing method

Abstract

Powder mixture for use in the manufacture of a three-dimensional object using an additive manufacturing method, wherein the powder mixture includes a first material and a second material, wherein the first material comprises a steel in powder form, wherein the second material comprises a reinforcement material different from the first material, and wherein the powder mixture is adapted to form a composite object when solidified an electromagnetic and/or particle radiation in the additive manufacturing method.

1 . A powder mixture for use in the manufacture of a three-dimensional object by an additive manufacturing method,
 wherein the powder mixture comprises a first material and a second material,   wherein the first material comprises a steel in powder form,   wherein the second material comprises a reinforcement material different from the first material, and   wherein the powder mixture is adapted to form a composite object when solidified by means of an electromagnetic and/or a particle radiation in the additive manufacturing method.   
     
     
         2 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material is embedded in a matrix of the composite object at least partially in a chemically unmodified form.   
     
     
         3 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the steel contains Fe and   max 0.10 wt % C,   2.00-3.00 wt % Mo,   10.00-15.00 wt % Ni, and   16.00-19.00 wt % Cr.   
     
     
         4 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the median grain size of the first material is 1 μm or more.   
     
     
         5 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the particles of the first material are substantially spherical.   
     
     
         6 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material comprises at least one non-metallic material.   
     
     
         7 . The powder mixture according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material comprises silicon carbide.   
     
     
         8 . The powder mixture according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material comprises titanium carbide.   
     
     
         9 . The powder mixture according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material comprises tungsten carbide.   
     
     
         10 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material is a powder, and   wherein the median grain size of the reinforcement material is 0.5 μm or more.   
     
     
         11 . The powder mixture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the particles of the reinforcement material have a substantially spherical or a substantially angular or a substantially irregular shape.   
     
     
         12 . The powder mixture according  claim 1 ,
 wherein the content of the reinforcement material is 0.05 wt % or more, and/or   wherein the content of the reinforcement material is 40 wt % or less.   
     
     
         13 . A method for the production of a powder mixture according  claim 1 ,
 wherein the powder mixture is produced by mixing the first material and the second material in a predetermined mixing ratio.   
     
     
         14 . A method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object from a powder mixture according to  claim 1  by selective layer-wise solidification of the powder mixture by an electromagnetic radiation and/or a particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps:
 applying a layer of the power mixture on the base plate or on the building platform or on a previously applied layer,   solidifying the powder mixture selectively at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the three-dimensional object in the layer, and   repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed.   
     
     
         16 . A three-dimensional object manufactured from a powder mixture according to  claim 1  by selective layer-wise solidification of the powder mixture by an electromagnetic radiation and/or particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer. 
     
     
         17 . A three-dimensional object according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the reinforcement material is embedded in a matrix of the three-dimensional object at least partially in a chemically unmodified form.   
     
     
         18 . A three-dimensional object according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the material of the three-dimensional object has a tensile strength of 500 MPa or more, and/or   wherein the material of the three-dimensional object has a yield strength of 170 MPa or more.   
     
     
         19 . A three-dimensional object according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein a reduction of a pin mass loss in wear testing of the three-dimensional object compared to a pin mass loss in wear testing of a three-dimensional object manufactured from the first material by selective layer-wise solidification of the first material by the electromagnetic and/or particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer is 25% or more, and/or   wherein an increase of a disk mass loss in wear testing of the three-dimensional object compared to a disk mass loss in wear testing of a three-dimensional object manufactured from the first material by selective layer-wise solidification of the first material the electromagnetic and/or particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer is 15% or more.   
     
     
         20 . A control unit for an apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object layer by layer by applying and selectively solidifying a powder mixture according to  claim 1  by an electromagnetic and/or particle radiation,
 wherein the control unit is adapted to control that a predefined amount of energy is introduced into a defined volume of the powder mixture by the electromagnetic and/or particle radiation. 
 
     
     
         21 . A method for the manufacture of a three-dimensional object from a powder mixture by selective layer-wise solidification of the powder mixture by an electromagnetic and/or a particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer,
 wherein the powder mixture comprises a first material and a second material,   wherein the first material comprises a metal in powder form,   wherein the second material comprises a reinforcement material,   wherein the powder mixture is selectively solidified by means of an electromagnetic and/or a particle radiation at positions that correspond to a cross-section of the object in a respective layer forming a composite material, and   wherein 90 wt % or less of the reinforcement material is dissolved in the metal.