DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II (claims 8-20) the reply filed on 10/28/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over either one of Sarangi et al. (US 2021/0171814 A1) in view of Du et al., Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Silicon Carbide Ceramics: Development of Bimodal Powder Feedstocks by Modeling and Experimental Methods., Applied Material Division, Argonne National Laboratory., pp. 1-20, Year 2020 (as provided by the Applicant’s IDS).
Regarding 8, Sarangi et al. teach a method of forming a shaped body that comprises feedstock of inorganic particles dispersed in binder composition ([0029] –[0030] and [0048]-[0053] discloses use of abrasive particle with bonding material as the binder to form a 3D printed article, followed by heating or sintering to form the body), in one aspect, the process includes binder jetting using as starting material a powder material having multimodal size distribution particles, the multimodal particle size distribution of the powder material may be related to different sizes of a single phase material or creation of a mixture from different powder components, including for example, but not limited to, a mixture including a first particulate material (e.g., abrasive particles having a first particle size distribution) and a second particulate material (e.g., particulate bond material or bond material precursor having a second particle size distribution that is different from the first particle size distribution) ([0048]-[0053]); forming the feedstock composition into a shaped body that comprises the inorganic particles and solidified binder composition (see [0044]]-[0046]).
Additionally, Sarangi et al. teach in one particular aspect, the powder material for the binder jetting can be bi-modal particle distribution, wherein a first plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and a second plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 20 μm and not greater than 50 μm (see [0049]).
However, Sarangi et al fail to teach the feedstock comprising: a collection of irregular fine particles having a fine particle size distribution and an average fine particle diameter, and a collection of irregular coarse particles having a coarse particle size distribution as claimed.
In the same field of endeavor, pertaining to feedstock binder jetting 3D printing, Du et al., teach feedstock powder including a collection of irregular fine particles having a fine particle size distribution and an average fine particle diameter, and a collection of irregular coarse particles having a coarse particle size distribution (see page 3, starting with 1. Introduction to page 13, conclusion, which discloses using mixture of powder materials specifically bimodal and/or trimodal, including powders with different sizes, see page 5 -7 specifically and these materials are printed using binder jetting system, page 9 discloses use of use of coarse particles and fine particles, for achieving desired packing density, also see page 10, section 4.3 which also discloses feedstock powder selection of coarse powder particle to fine particle, where coarse powder occupied large volume fraction in the bimodal powder, page 12 discloses trimodal feedstock with specific powder sized including SiC powders as the inorganic particles). Du et al. further teach the feedstock composition comprising an average coarse particle diameter that is in a range from 4 to 7 times the average fine particle diameter (see Table 2, page 19 discloses average coarse particle size 54.7 micron and average fine particle sized 12.9 to achieve desired tap density).
Based on examples and experiment conducted by Du et al., it is suggested that one ordinary skilled in the art would be able to choose two irregular sized SiC powders (coarse and fine) with desired quantity, and control the ratio to achieve desired green density, packing density, or tap density (see page 13-14). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time of the Applicant’s invention was effectively field to modify the feedstock for 3D printing material as taught by Sarangi et al. with additionally having feedstocks with irregular coarse and fine particles (that includes average particles) as taught by Du et al. for the benefit of providing functional benefit of increasing powder bed density thereby increasing desired green density, packing density, or tap density (see page 13-14, and page 4).
As for claim 9, Sarangi et al. further teach comprising forming the feedstock composition into a shaped precursor body by an additive manufacturing step (see [0037]-[0046]).
As for claim 10 - 14, Sarangi et al. teach in one particular aspect, the powder material for the binder jetting can be bi-modal particle distribution, wherein a first plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and a second plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 20 μm and not greater than 50 μm (see [0049]); the inorganic composition including binder composition (see [0046]-[0052]), however, fail to teach the inorganic particles have a packing density of at least 60 percent; further including from 10 to 50 weight percent irregular fine particles, and from 50 to 90 weight percent irregular coarse particles, based on total weight composition; and including 70 to 90 percent binder composition based on the total weight of the feedstock composition.
However, Du et al., teach unimodal powder including coarse average particle size of 54.7 micron and the fine average particle size 12. 9 micron (see Du et al. Table 2) and suggest optimizing the feedstock composition including both weight percent of irregular coarse and fine particles (both are made of Silicon Carbide particles) to desired size and ratio to obtain specific packing density (see Tables 1-6, specifically Fig 6 shows coarse powder fraction (vol%) and fine powder fraction (vol%); page 6 – page 8 which relates to optimization of particle size, powder mixing ratio, to achieve desired packing density, additionally see pages 9-13). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time of the Applicant’s invention was effectively filed to modify the feedstock as taught by Sarangi et al. with having optimized quantity or weight percent irregular fine particles to weight percent irregular coarse particles in relation to binder materials as taught by Du et al. and Sarangi et al. (see Table 5 of Du et al.), for the benefit of achieving desired packing density in the part as claimed.
Regarding 15, Sarangi et al. teach a method of forming a shaped body that comprises inorganic particles dispersed in binder composition ([0029] –[0030] and [0048]-[0053] discloses use of abrasive particle with bonding material as the binder to form a 3D printed article, followed by heating or sintering to form the body), in one aspect, the process includes binder jetting using as starting material a powder material having multimodal size distribution particles, the multimodal particle size distribution of the powder material may be related to different sizes of a single phase material or creation of a mixture from different powder components, including for example, but not limited to, a mixture including a first particulate material (e.g., abrasive particles having a first particle size distribution) and a second particulate material (e.g., particulate bond material or bond material precursor having a second particle size distribution that is different from the first particle size distribution) ([0048]-[0053]). Sarangi et al. also teach heating the shaped precursor body to a temperature that causes the particles to be fused to form inorganic sintered body (see [0030]-[0032],[0036]-[0037],[0042]-[0043], [0149]).
Additionally, Sarangi et al. teach in one particular aspect, the powder material for the binder jetting can be bi-modal particle distribution, wherein a first plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 1 μm and not greater than 10 μm, and a second plurality of particles can have an average particle size (D50) of at least 20 μm and not greater than 50 μm (see [0049]).
However, Sarangi et al fail to teach the feedstock comprising a collection of irregular fine particles having a fine particle size distribution and an average fine particle diameter, and a collection of irregular coarse particles having a coarse particle size distribution and the feedstock composition comprising an average coarse particle diameter that is in a range from 4 to 7 times the average fine particle diameter as claimed.
In the same field of endeavor, pertaining to feedstock binder jetting 3D printing, Du et al., teach feedstock powder including a collection of irregular fine particles having a fine particle size distribution and an average fine particle diameter, and a collection of irregular coarse particles having a coarse particle size distribution (see page 3, starting with 1. Introduction to page 13, conclusion, which discloses using mixture of powder materials specifically bimodal and/or trimodal, including powders with different sizes, see page 5 -7 specifically and these materials are printed using binder jetting system, page 9 discloses use of use of coarse particles and fine particles, for achieving desired packing density, also see page 10, section 4.3 which also discloses feedstock powder selection of coarse powder particle to fine particle, where coarse powder occupied large volume fraction in the bimodal powder, page 12 discloses trimodal feedstock with specific powder sized including SiC powders as the inorganic particles). Du et al. further teach the feedstock composition comprising an average coarse particle diameter that is in a range from 4 to 7 times the average fine particle diameter (see Table 2, page 19 discloses average coarse particle size 54.7 micron and average fine particle sized 12.9 to achieve desired tap density).
Based on examples and experiment conducted by Du et al., it is suggested that one ordinary skilled in the art would be able to choose two irregular sized SiC powders (coarse and fine) with desired quantity, and control the ratio to achieve desired green density, packing density, or tap density (see page 13-14). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time of the Applicant’s invention was effectively field to modify the feedstock for 3D printing material as taught by Sarangi et al. with additionally having feedstocks with irregular coarse and fine particles (that includes average particles) as taught by Du et al. for the benefit of providing functional benefit of increasing powder bed density thereby increasing desired green density, packing density, or tap density (see page 13-14, and page 4).
As for claim 16, Sarangi et al. further teach forming the feedstock composition into a shaped precursor body by an additive manufacturing step (see [0037]-[0040]).
As for claim 17 - 20, Sarangi et al. teach sing mixture of inorganic material in combination with binder materials (see [0046]-[0052]), fail to teach wherein the inorganic sintered body has a porosity below 5 percent; and having 70 to 90 weight percent binder composition based on the total weight feedstock composition…as claimed.
In the same field of endeavor, pertaining to binder jetting, Du et al. teach similar sized and type of powder materials (SiC) with both fine and coarse particles (see page 4-5, and page 10) and also teach having less voids in the green part (see page 4 states “By this method, interparticle void between coarse particles can be filled by fine particles. Therefore, mixing powder of different sizes can be effective method to increase powder bed density and consequently green density of printed parts [21]. Compared to unimodal powder, multimodal powder could also lead to better dimensional control after sintering as there are less voids in the green part.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the applicant’s invention to have modified that feedstock material with desired size and quantity of SiC particles, higher amount of binder, as suggested by Du et al., for providing desired functional property of reduced porosity and desired packing density (see pages 4-6). Though Du et al. fail to explicitly teach wherein the inorganic sintered body comprises at least 97 weight percent silicon carbide; wherein the particle composition has a packing density of at least 60 percent, however, Du et al. provide sufficient suggestion or motivation to have optimized quantity of SiC and desired packing density (see pages page 9-13), for the benefit of obtaining a part with desired strength (see page 3-6; Table 1-6).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2019/0201977 A1 relates to binder jetting including SiC powders with binder materials (see abstract; [0001]-[0115]).
US 2016/0325495 A1 relates three-dimensionally printing articles by selectively jet-depositing a particle-bearing binder fluid (14) upon successive layers (4) of a build material powder (10) such that the particles (16) deposited with the binder fluid (14) increase the apparent density of the as-printed article. The particulate matter (16) of the binder fluid (12) is smaller than the mean particle size of the build material powder (10).
US 2020/0189145 A1 - the method employs an indirect additive manufacturing (IAM) process, such as a binder jetting process, to form an initial porous preform constructed of boron carbide and silicon carbide, with a substantial portion of the silicon carbide particles being larger in size than the boron carbide particles, followed by debinding the porous preform at a temperature of 500-800° C. to produce a binder-free porous preform, with optional subsequent sintering of the porous preform, followed by infiltrating molten silicon into pores of the binder-free porous preform to produce the object composed of a composite of boron carbide and silicon carbide and free silicon.
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NAHIDA SULTANA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1743
/NAHIDA SULTANA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743