Consumable filaments having reversible reinforcement for extrusion-based additive manufacturing

• US 10,370,510 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Cernohous, Jeffrey Jacob, Pawloski, Adam R., Demuth, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US15/028,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20160251486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/04 Polymers of styrene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/04 Polymers of esters
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0082 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/08 Copolymers of ethene C08J2323/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2423/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2429/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2467/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08J2467/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2477/06 Polyamides derived from polyamines and polycarboxylic acids C08J2477/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/0405 with inorganic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/046 with synthetic macromolecular fibrous material

Abstract

A consumable assembly for use with an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, the consumable assembly including a supply device (e.g., a spool) and a filament supported by the supply device, where the filament has a composition comprising one or more elastomers and one or more reinforcing additives, and a filament geometry configured to be received by a liquefier assembly of the additive manufacturing system. The composition is preferably configured to be thermally and/or chemically modified to reduce its flexural modulus.

Claims

1. A method of building a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a supply of feedstock material to a liquefier of the additive manufacturing system wherein the feedstock material comprises at least 50% by weight an elastomer and up to 50% by weight a reinforcing additive wherein the feedstock material has a flexural modulus greater than about 300 megaPascals (MPa);

heating the feedstock material in the liquefier and extruding the molten feedstock material through a nozzle provided in an outlet of the liquefier;

depositing the molten feedstock material in a layer by layer manner to build the three-dimensional part; and

chemically treating the three-dimensional part to dissolve or weaken at least a portion of the reinforcing additive such that the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part is less than the flexural modulus of the feedstock material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein chemically treating the three-dimensional part comprises using a water-based solution to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive to decrease the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein chemically treating the three-dimensional part comprises using an acidic solution to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive decrease the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the elastomer is an elastomeric thermoplastic material derived from polyolefins, polyesters, styrenics, polyurethanes, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing additive comprises mineral whiskers, mineral salts, or combinations thereof and wherein the feedstock material of has a flexural modulus greater than about 1500 MPa.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein after chemically treating the three-dimensional part to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive the three-dimensional part has a flexural modulus less than about 1500 MPa.

7. A method of building a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a supply of feedstock material to a liquefier of the additive manufacturing system wherein the feedstock material comprises at least 50% by weight an elastomer and up to 50% by weight a reinforcing additive wherein the feedstock material has a flexural modulus greater than about 300 megaPascals (MPa);

heating the feedstock material in the liquefier to a temperature that thermally degrades or softens at least a portion of the reinforcing additive;

extruding the molten feedstock material through a nozzle provided in an outlet of the liquefier; and

depositing the molten feedstock material in a layer by layer manner to build the three-dimensional part, wherein the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part is less than the flexural modulus of the feed stock material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reinforcing additive is a polymer fiber comprising polypropylene, polylactic acid, polyamide-6 fibers or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the elastomer is an elastomeric thermoplastic material derived from polyolefins, polyesters, styrenics, polyurethanes, or combinations thereof.