Method of printing a three-dimensional article

• US 10,626,237 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nutrition & Biosciences USA 1, LLC (International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bayer, Roland, Pyzik, Aleksander J., Allen, Sharon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US16/356,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20190211170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 264308, 264317, 536 85, 536 95
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/08 Cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/046 PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 11/193 Mixed ethers, i.e. ethers with two or more different etherifying groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2301/28 Alkyl ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2401/28 Alkyl ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2455/02 Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene [ABS] polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2467/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08J2467/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/042 with two or more layers, where at least one layer of a composition contains a polymer binder
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/28 from organic cellulose esters or ethers, e.g. cellulose acetate

Abstract

A three-dimensionally printed article comprises a build material and a support material, the support material comprising a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose having a DS of at least 1.0 and an MS of at least 0.6, wherein DS is the degree of substitution of methoxyl groups and MS is the molar substitution of hydroxypropoxyl groups. The support material can be removed from the build material by contacting the support material with water.

Claims

1. A method of printing a three-dimensional article comprising:

selectively depositing layers of a fluid build material to form the three-dimensional article on a substrate; and

supporting at least one of the layers of the build material with a support material, the support material comprising a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose having a DS of at least 1.0 and an MS of at least 0.6, wherein DS is the degree of substitution of methoxyl groups and MS is the molar substitution of hydroxypropoxyl groups, and at most 5 weight percent of water.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layers of the build material are deposited according to an image of the three-dimensional article in a computer readable format.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising hardening the build material.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising removing the support material from the build material by contacting the support material with water.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is at least 50 weight percent of the total weight of the support material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has a DS of at least 1.4.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has a DS of from 1.6 to 2.5.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has an MS of from 0.6 to 1.7.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the build material comprises a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polycarbonate, polylactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has a viscosity that is up to 30 mPa·

s, determined as a 2% by weight solution in water at 20°

C.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein both the build material and the support material are melted in nozzle and selectively printed.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has an MS of from 0.7 to 1.3.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the support material has at most 3 weight percent of water.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the support material has at most 1 weight percent of water.