3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Kenneth Robert Dillon

Raymond C Chiu

Vincent Wen-Shiuan King

Timothy L Hoopman

Paul Edward Humpal

Thomas Edward Wood

Richard Paul Rusin

Kyung H Moh

Richard N Gardner

Richard L Terchek

Stephen M Sanocki

Richard P Merry

Vincent W King

Raymond Chi-Hing Chiu

Parul Edward Humpal

A curable slurry for forming ceramic microstructures on a substrate using a mold. The slurry is a mixture of a ceramic powder, a fugitive binder, and a diluent. The ceramic powder has a low softening temperature in a range of about 400&#xb0; C. to 600&#xb0; C. and a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matched to that of the substrate. The fugitive binder is capable of radiation curing, electron beam curing, or thermal curing. The diluent promotes release properties with the mold after curing the binder or quick and complete burn out of the binder during debinding.

Curable slurry for forming ceramic microstructures on a substrate using a mold

In a method of making a microstructured assembly, a substantially uniform coating of a curable material is formed on a substrate with the coating defining a leading edge. The coating is contacted with a mold starting at the leading edge to form in the curable material a plurality of barrier regions connected by intervening land regions. The curable material is cured and the mold is removed. Optionally, the coating includes a binder. Such a coating can optionally be debinded. In addition, the coating can be fired to form ceramic microstructures.

Method for forming microstructures on a substrate using a mold

A method for molding and aligning microstructures on a patterned substrate using a microstructured mold. A slurry containing a mixture of a ceramic powder and a curable fugitive binder is placed between the microstructure of a stretchable mold and a patterned substrate. The mold can be stretched to align the microstructure of the mold with a predetermined portion of the patterned substrate. The slurry is hardened between the mold and the substrate. The mold is then removed to leave microstructures adhered to the substrate and aligned with the pattern of the substrate. The microstructures can be thermally heated to remove the binder and optimally fired to sinter the ceramic powder.

Method for precise molding and alignment of structures on a substrate using a stretchable mold

An insulating liner for use with exhaust system or pollution control devices such as catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters or traps. The insulating liner is shown in relation to an end cone for use with a catalytic converter. The end cone includes an outer metallic end cone and a free-standing insulating cone positioned within the outer metallic end cone. A substantial portion of the inner surface of the insulating liner is exposed to hot exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. The insulating liner is preferably formed of a composite containing inorganic fibers and/or particles, which makes the insulating liner rigid, yet capable of withstanding repeated mechanical and thermal shocks.

Free-standing internally insulating liner

A curable slurry for forming ceramic microstructures on a substrate using a mold. The slurry is a mixture of a ceramic powder, a fugitive binder, and a diluent. The ceramic powder has a low softening temperature in a range of about 400&deg; C. to 600&deg; C. and a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matched to that of the substrate. The fugitive binder is capable of radiation curing, electron beam curing, or thermal curing. The diluent promotes release properties with the mold after curing the binder or quick and complete burn out of the binder during debinding.

An apparatus for molding and aligning microstructures on a patterned substrate using a microstructured mold. A slurry containing a mixture of a ceramic powder and a curable fugitive binder is placed between the microstructure of a stretchable mold and a patterned substrate. The mold can be stretched to align the microstructure of the mold with a predetermined portion of the patterned substrate. The slurry is hardened between the mold and the substrate. The mold is then removed to leave microstructures adhered to the substrate and aligned with the pattern of the substrate. The microstructures can be thermally heated to remove the binder and optimally fired to sinter the ceramic powder.

Apparatus for precise molding and alignment of structures on a substrate using a stretchable mold

A precision molded article, such as a die cavity, is made by combining granules of a first metal or alloy and a second metal or alloy, the second metal or alloy having a homogeneous appearance at some temperature below its melting point, and a higher Rockwell Hardness than the first metal or alloy, mixing the granules with a heat fugitive organic binder, molding the granule-binder mixture into a green molded preform, thermally degrading and removing essentially all the binder to form a skeletal preform, and infiltrating the preform with a third metal or alloy which will wet the second metal or alloy and has a lower Rockwell Hardness than the second metal or alloy, thereby forming a molded article having granules of first metal or alloy the majority of which are fully enveloped within a single skeleton of the second metal or alloy, the skeleton of second metal or alloy being surrounded by layers or matrices of softer metals.

Infiltrated powered metal composite article

The shrinkage normally encountered when molding a mixture of spherical cobalt-containing particles and thermoplastic binder, heating the resulting molded article to degrade the binder and form a porous preform, and infiltrating the same is counteracted by adding finely divided elemental iron or elemental nickel to the spherical cobalt-containing particles. In addition to improving dimensional control, the elemental powder addition increases impact strength while maintaining hardness.

Dimensionally-controlled cobalt-containing precision molded metal article

A molded, non-refractory metal article is made by molding in a flexible mold a plastic mixture of non-refractory, spherical metal powders and a heat-fugitive binder comprising thermoplastic material to form a green article of predetermined shape and dimensions, heating the green article to remove said binder and consolidate the non-refractory spherical powders in the form of a porous, monolithic skeleton of necked particles of non-refractory metal, infiltrating the skeleton with a molten metal having a melting point that is at least 25.degree. C. less than the melting point of the lowest melting of said spherical, non-refractory metal particles, and cooling the infiltrated skeleton thereby forming a homogeneous, void-free, non-refractory metal article of two intermeshed metal matrices.

Infiltrated molded articles of spherical non-refractory metal powders

A precision molded article, such as a die cavity, is made by combining granules of a refractory and granules of a first metal or alloy which has a homogeneous crystalline appearance at a temperature below its melting point and has a lower Rockwell Hardness than the refractory, mixing the granules with a heat fugitive organic binder, molding the granule-binder mixture into a green molded preform, thermally degrading and removing essentially all the binder to form a skeletal preform, and infiltrating the preform with a second metal or alloy which will wet the first metal or alloy and has a lower Rockwell Hardness than the first metal or alloy, thereby forming a molded article having refractory granules fully enveloped within a single skeleton of the first metal or alloy, the refractory granules and skeleton of first metal being surrounded by layers or matrices of softer metals.

Growing community of inventors

White Bear Lake, MN, United States of America

Kenneth Robert Dillon