The support revolution of silicone oil in 3D printing
The field of metal 3D printing is undergoing a process revolution triggered by silicone oil. During laser selective melting (SLM), the imbalance of surface tension on the powder bed can lead to splashing and spheroidization defects. The hydrogen containing silicone oil support agent developed by Dow Corning undergoes hydrogenation reaction with the surface oxide layer of metal powder through Si-H bonds, forming a temporary bonding layer with a thickness of 0.5 μ m.
This chemical adsorption effect increased the printing success rate from 72% to 91%. In the manufacturing of LEAP engine blades for GE Aviation, the use of silicone oil support technology reduced the surface roughness Ra value from 6.3 μ m to 1.6 μ m, while shortening the post-treatment time by 60%. More noteworthy is that silicone oil will completely decompose into SiO ₂ and H ₂ at a high temperature of 600 ℃, making it an ideal high-temperature temporary support material due to its controllable degradation characteristics.