Process for Producing a Fiber-Reinforced Three-Dimensional Ceramic Component

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fiber-reinforced three-dimensional ceramic component allowing for a targeted orientation of the reinforcing fibers, a slip for use in said process according to the invention, and a device for carrying out the process according to the invention.

Claims

1. A process for producing a fiber-reinforced three-dimensional component by additive manufacturing, wherein said process includes the layerwise construction of the component from a powdery material, characterized in that at least two of the layers have different orientations of reinforcing fibers.

2. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing fibers are provided together with the powdery material, and delivered in layers together with the latter, and/or said reinforcing fibers are incorporated in one or more layers by injection.

3. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the different orientations of said reinforcing fibers are achieved by changing the direction of application of the powdery material.

4. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that said reinforcing fibers extend through at least two layers.

5. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that said reinforcing fibers have a length of 1 mm or less.

6. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the proportion of reinforcing fibers is 10 to 60% by volume based on the total volume of the component.

7. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing fibers are selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, polymer fibers, carbon fibers, and ceramic fibers.

8. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the powdery material is provided in the form of a slip.

9. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that said powdery material is selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbides and nitrides of metals and transition metals, and mixtures thereof.

10. A slip for use in a process according to claim 1, characterized in that said slip includes: a) ceramic particles, preferably SiC particles; b) reinforcing fibers; and c) binders.

11. A fiber-reinforced ceramic component obtainable by a process according to claim 1, characterized in that said component has an isotropic orientation and/or distribution of the reinforcing fibers.

12. A device for carrying out a process according to claim 1, comprising a delivery unit for delivering a powdery material and optionally the reinforcing fibers, and a height-adjustable receiving unit for receiving a layer of the powdery material, in which said delivery unit and/or said receiving unit are movable in a plane.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that said delivery unit is a die or a doctor blade.

14. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the device further has an injection unit for injecting the reinforcing fibers into the one or more layers.

15. The use of a slip for producing a fiber-reinforced ceramic component according to claim 11, wherein said slip includes a) ceramic particles; b) the reinforcing fibers, and c) one or more binders.

16. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the proportion of the reinforcing fibers is 15 to 55% by volume based on the total volume of the component.

17. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing fibers are silicon carbide (SiC) fibers.

18. The process according to claim 8, characterized in that the slip further includes the reinforcing fibers.

19. A device for carrying out a process for producing a component according to claim 11, comprising a delivery unit for delivering a powdery material and optionally the reinforcing fibers, and a height-adjustable receiving unit for receiving a layer of the powdery material, in which said delivery unit and/or said receiving unit are movable in a plane.

20. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the die is a slot die.

Description

[0045] The present invention is described by means of the following Figures, which should by no means be understood as limiting the idea of the invention.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows the schematic structure of an embodiment of the device according to the invention with a delivery unit (1) in the form of a doctor blade, in which a powdery material (2) with reinforcing fibers (3) is delivered on a substrate or a previous powder layer (4), and said reinforcing fibers have a first preferred orientation.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows the schematic structure of an embodiment of the device according to the invention with a delivery unit (1) in the form of a slot die, in which a powdery material (2) with reinforcing fibers (3) is delivered on a substrate or a previous powder layer (4), and said reinforcing fibers have a first preferred orientation.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows the schematic structure of an embodiment of the device according to the invention with a delivery unit (1) in the form of a slot die, and an injection unit (5), in which a powdery material (2) with reinforcing fibers (3) is delivered on a substrate or a previous powder layer (4), and said reinforcing fibers have different orientations, and the reinforcing fibers (3) incorporated by using the injection unit (5) extend beyond the layer thickness of one layer in the z direction.

[0049] In each of the embodiments described, the powdery material (2) can be employed in the form of a slip.