The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 20, 1999
James A. Cornie, Cambridge, MA (US);
Maxim L. Seleznev, Belmont, MA (US);
Brett M. Schulz, Boxborough, MA (US);
Shiyu Zhang, Cambridge, MA (US);
Metal Matrix Cast Composites, Inc., Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
Methods and materials for preparing investment molds useful in pressure infiltration casting of near net-shape metal or metal matrix composite (MMC) components. One embodiment of the invention includes disposing a slurry of an appropriately sized refractory material and a vehicle around a preform or fugitive pattern, removing the bulk of the vehicle, then curing/drying the refractory material to create an investment mold of the invention. Subsequently, pressure infiltration casting with a molten infiltrant using the investment mold permits infiltration of the mold cavity and/or preform without infiltration of the investment mold. As a result, the investment mold readily is removed to provide the near net-shape metal or MMC component. In other embodiments of the invention, a non-fugitive pattern is used, typically with a modified refractory cement of the invention. In these embodiments, the non-fugitive pattern is removed after formation of the investment mold to provide a suitable mold cavity which may be used to produce near net-shape metal or MMC components.