Additive manufacturing using stimuli-responsive high-performance polymers

• US 10,427,353 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, University of Washington
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Chang-Uk, Goetz, Adam Edward, Ashikari, Yosuke, Boydston, Andrew Jackson, Ganter, Mark A., Storti, Duane William
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US15/452,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20170326790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0014 Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

The present invention provides high performance polymer (HPP) compositions, methods, processes, and systems for the manufacture of three-dimensional articles made of polymers using molding or 3D printing. The HPP compositions comprise a first HPP dissolved in a solvent and a second HPP present as a solid having particular particle size.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional article, the method comprising:

depositing a high-performance polymer (HPP) composition comprising;

a homogenous mixture of a first HPP dissolved in a solvent; and

a second HPP that is insoluble in the solvent;

exposing the HPP composition to a stimulus to form a polymer layer of the three-dimensional article; and

repeating the steps (a)-(b) to form remainder of the three-dimensional article;

wherein the solvent comprises spearmint oil, α

-terpinene, limonene, α

-pinene, fenchone, or combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first HPP comprises a polyketone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the polyketone comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polyetheretheretherketone (PEEEK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetheretherketone (PEKEKK), or polyetherketoneketoneketone (PEKKK).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second HPP comprises polyimides, polyketones, reduced forms of polyketones, or polyethersulfones, and wherein the second HPP is not soluble in the solvent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stimulus comprises heat, light, oxidation, reduction, acid catalysis, base catalysis, transition metal catalysis, or combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of curing wherein curing is done by chemical curing or thermal curing.

7. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, the method comprising:

depositing a powder of first HPP on a build plate to form a powder bed;

printing a solution comprising a homogeneous mixture of a second HPP dissolved in a solvent at selected locations on the powder bed;

exposing the printed solution to a stimulus to form a polymer layer of the three-dimensional article; and

repeating steps (a)-(c) to manufacture remainder of the three-dimensional article.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first HPP comprises polyimides, polyketones, reduced forms of polyketones, or polyethersulfones, and wherein the first HPP is not soluble in the solvent.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second HPP comprises a polyketone.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the polyketone comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polyetheretheretherketone (PEEEK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetheretherketone (PEKEKK), or polyetherketoneketoneketone (PEKKK).

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the solvent has a low vapor pressure and is food-safe.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the solvent comprises spearmint oil, α

-terpinene, limonene, α

-pinene, fenchone, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the stimulus comprises heat, light, oxidation, reduction, acid catalysis, base catalysis, transition metal catalysis, or combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of curing wherein curing is done by chemical curing or thermal curing.

15. A three-dimensional article made by the process of:

depositing a high-performance polymer (HPP) composition comprising;

a homogeneous mixture of a first HPP dissolved in a solvent; and

a second HPP that is insoluble in the solvent;

exposing the HPP composition to a stimulus to form a polymer layer of the three-dimensional article;

repeating the steps (a)-(b) to form remainder of the three-dimensional article; and

curing the article for less than about 1 minute;

wherein the solvent comprises spearmint oil, α

-terpinene, limonene, α

-pinene, fenchone, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first HPP comprises a polyketone, wherein the polyketone comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polyetheretheretherketone (PEEEK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetheretherketone (PEKEKK), or polyetherketoneketoneketone (PEKKK), wherein the second HPP comprises polyimides, polyketones, reduced forms of polyketones, or polyethersulfones, and wherein the second HPP is not soluble in the solvent.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the stimulus comprises heat, light, oxidation, reduction, acid catalysis, base catalysis, transition metal catalysis, or combination thereof.