SBIR Phase I: Rapid Tooling via Fullerene Reactivity with Interstitial Boron

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将研究利用富勒烯化学生产全密度金属模具和模具。一种由工具钢粉末和掺杂富勒烯粘合剂组成的共晶成形合金将被证明可以产生一种混合材料，大大简化了模具和模具制造的开模和快速模具（RT）工艺。硼铁（FeB）将与工具钢粉末的双模态混合物合金化，以帮助钢粉末烧结，并使大部分硼与富勒烯碳扩散反应，产生高强度的碳化硼基体。所提出的方法将实现单步、全密度、线性收缩率小于1.5%的固结，表面光洁度优于25微英寸rms。如果成功，这种基于粉末材料的技术将使用现有的快速成型设备和快速模具工艺生产低成本，高性能的模具和模具。最终，金属注射成型行业将受益于引入新的粉末混合物，使生产速度更快，收缩率更低，表面光洁度大大提高。

9861182 This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate the use of fullerene chemistry to produce full density metal dies and molds. An eutectic-forming alloy of tool steel powder and fullerene-doped binder will be demonstrated to produce a blend of materials that greatly simplifies the open mold and Rapid Tooling (RT) processes for the fabrication of dies and molds. Ferroboron (FeB) will be alloyed with a bi-modal blend of tool steel powder to assist sintering of the steel powder and to react diffussively most of the boron with the fullerene carbon, producing a high strength boron carbide matrix. The proposed method will enable single-step, full-density, consolidation with linear shrinkage less than 1.5% and surface finishes better than 25 micro-inch rms. If successful, this powder materials-based technology will produce low-cost, high performance dies and molds using existing rapid prototyping apparatus and rapid tooling processes. Ultimately, the metal injection molding industry will benefit with the introduction of the new powder blends enabling much faster production with lower shrinkage and greatly improved surface finishes.