Material and method for three-dimensional modeling

• US 20030004600A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Priedeman, William R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,314,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2071/022 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/005 Using a particular environment, e.g. sterile fluids other than air
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/64 Silicone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/36 Feeding the material on to the mould, core or other substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/42 Removing articles from moulds, cores or other substrates B29C33/444 and B29C37/0017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/52 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 71/02 Thermal after-treatment B29C71/0063 and B29C71/0072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/085 Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• 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 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2650/40 : containing ketone groups, e.g. polyarylethylketones, PEEK or PEK
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/16 : to hydroxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0016 : Plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/02 : Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/00 : Compositions of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain of polyacetals C08L59/00; of epoxy resins C08L63/00; of polythioether-ethers C08L81/02; of polyether-sulfones C08L81/06; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 81/06 : Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 1/10 : Other agents for modifying properties
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49019 : Machine 3-D slices, to build 3-D model, stratified object manufacturing SOM
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A three-dimensional model and its support structure are built by fused deposition modeling techniques, wherein a thermoplastic material containing silicone is used to form the support structure and/or the model. The thermoplastic material containing silicone exhibits good thermal stability, and resists build-up in the nozzle of an extrusion head or jetting head of a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. The silicone contained in a support material acts as a release agent to facilitate removal of the support structure from the model after its completion.

Claims

1. An additive-process method for building a three-dimensional model comprising the step of:

depositing layers of a thermoplastic composition containing between about 0.5 and 10 weight percent silicone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition contains less than about 2 weight percent silicone and the thermoplastic composition forms the model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition contains greater than about 1 weight percent silicone and the thermoplastic composition forms a support structure for the model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition further comprises a base polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyetherimides, polyphenylsulfones, polyphenylenes, polycarbonates, high-impact polystyrenes, polysulfones, polystyrenes, acrylics, amorphous polyamides, polyesters, nylons, PEEK, PEAK and ABS.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition has a heat deflection temperature of greater than about 220°

C.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic composition has a melt flow in the range of about 5-30 gms/10 min. under a 1.2 kg load at a temperature of up to 450°

C., and a tensile strength of between about 5,000 psi and 12,000 psi.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyphenylsulfones and polyetherimides.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicone has a viscosity on the order of about 10⁴-10⁵ centistokes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicone is hydroxy-terminated polysiloxane.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition has a heat deflection temperature of greater than about 40°

C., a melt flow in the range of about 5-30 gms/10 min. under a 1.2 kg load at a temperature of up to 450°

C., and a tensile strength of between about 3,000 psi and 12,000 psi.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic composition is deposited into a build chamber having a temperature of between about 180°

C. and 250°

C.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the support material further comprises a base polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyetherimides, polyphenylsulfones, polyphenylenes, polycarbonates, high-impact polystyrenes, polysulfones, polystyrenes, acrylics, amorphous polyamides, polyesters, nylons, PEEK, PEAK and ABS.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the support material has a heat deflection temperature of greater than about 220°

C.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the support material has a melt flow in the range of about 5-30 gms/10 min. under a 1.2 kg load at a temperature of up to 450°

C., and a tensile strength of between about 5,000 psi and 12,000 psi.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyphenylsulfones and polyetherimides.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the base polymer is polyethersulfone and wherein the support material further comprises high-impact polystyrene.

18. The method of claims 16 or 17, wherein the modeling material comprises as a major component of a polyphenylsulfone resin.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the silicone release agent has a viscosity on the order of about 10⁴-10⁵ centistokes.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the silicone release agent is hydroxy-terminated polysiloxane.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the support material has a heat deflection temperature of greater than about 40°

C., a melt flow in the range of about 5-30 gms/10 min. under a 1.2 kg load at a temperature of up to 450°

C., and a tensile strength of between about 3,000 psi and 12,000 psi.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the support material is deposited into a build chamber having a temperature of between about 180°

C. and 250°

C.

24. The thermoplastic composition of claim 23, wherein the base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyphenylsulfones and polyetherimides, and wherein the heat deflection temperature is greater than about 220°

C.

25. The thermoplastic composition of claim 24, wherein the composition exhibits thermally stability for a time period of at least 200 hours at temperatures of up to about 225°

C.

26. The thermoplastic composition of claim 23, wherein the silicone is hydroxy-terminated polysiloxane.

27. The thermoplastic composition of claim 23, wherein the weight percent of the base polymer in the composition ranges from about 60 percent to about 99 percent.

28. The thermoplastic composition of claim 27, wherein the thermoplastic composition further comprises between about 3-15 weight percent high-impact polystyrene.

29. The thermoplastic composition of claim 28, wherein the base polymer is polyethersulfone.

30. The thermoplastic composition of claim 29, wherein the weight percent of polyethersulfone in the composition ranges from about 90-95 percent, the weight percent of high-impact polystyrene in the composition ranges from about 3-8, and the weight percent of the silicone release agent in the composition ranges from about 1-3 percent.

31. The thermoplastic composition of claim 23, in the form of an extrudable object.

32. The thermoplastic composition of claim 31, wherein the extrudable object is a filament.

33. The thermoplastic composition of claim 23, and further comprising up to 20 weight percent of a filler.

12. An additive-process method for building a three-dimensional model and a support structure therefor, the model being formed by layered deposition of a solidifiable modeling material and the support structure being formed by layered deposition of a solidifiable support material, wherein the support material is a thermoplastic composition comprising between about 1-10 weight percent of a silicone release agent.

23. A thermoplastic composition for use in layered-deposition three-dimensional modeling, comprising a base polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethersulfones, polyetherimides, polyphenylsulfones, polyphenylenes, polycarbonates, high-impact polystyrenes, polysulfones, polystyrenes, acrylics, amorphous polyamides, polyesters, nylons, PEEK, PEAK and ABS, and between about 0.5-10 weight percent silicone, and having a heat deflection temperature of greater than about 40°

C., a melt flow in the range of about 5-30 gms/10 min. under a 1.2 kg load at a temperature of up to 450°

C., and a tensile strength of between about 3,000 psi and 12,000 psi.