Solid free-form fabrication of three-dimensional objects

• US 20050093194A1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Farr, Isaac, Oriakhi, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,381,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/113
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/00 Producing shaped prefabricated articles from the material using presses B28B3/00; shaping on moving conveyors B28B5/00; producing tubular articles B28B21/00 ; producing articles with embedded elements B28B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• 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: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/254 Polymeric or resinous material

Abstract

The present invention is drawn toward compositions, methods, and systems for solid free-form fabrication of three-dimensional objects. In one embodiment, a system for solid free-form fabrication of three-dimensional objects can comprise a particulate composition, a substrate configured for supporting at least a layer of the particulate composition in a defined region, and a liquid phase binder configured for being jetted in the defined region to polymerize at least a portion of the particulate composition to form a polymeric cement. Using this system in a layer by layer deposition process, three-dimensional objects can be formed. The particulate composition can include from 70 wt % to 99.9 wt % of polymeric particulates, and from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization initiator. The liquid phase binder can include from 70 wt % to 90 wt % of polymerizable monomers and from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization accelerator.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object, comprising:

a) depositing a particulate composition in a defined region, said particulate composition including;

i) from 70 wt % to 99.9 wt % of polymeric particulates, and

ii) from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization initiator;

b) jetting a liquid phase binder onto a predetermined area of the particulate composition to form a layer of polymeric cement in the predetermined area, said liquid phase binder including;

i) from 70 wt % to 90 wt % of polymerizable monomers, and

ii) from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization accelerator;

c) repeating steps a) and b) such that multiple layers of polymeric cement are formed that are bound to one another.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the particulate composition further comprises from 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of nanoparticle fillers.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymeric particulates include a member selected from the group consisting of acrylate particulates, methacrylate particulates, siloxane particulates, and combinations thereof.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the polymeric particulates include polymethylmethacrylate homopolymers or copolymers having a weight average molecular weight from 20,000 Mw to 1,000,000 Mw.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymerization initiator includes a member selected from the group consisting of a free radical initiator base and an organic peroxide.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein the polymerization initiator includes dibenzoyl peroxide.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the liquid phase binder further comprises a liquid stabilizer.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymerizable monomers include a member selected from the group consisting of acrylate monomers, methacrylate monomers, and combinations thereof.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the polymerizable monomers include methylmethacrylate monomers.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes an amine.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes dihydroxyethyl-p-toluidine.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein the liquid phase binder further includes a colorant.

14. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a portion of the particulate composition that does not form the polymeric cement.

15. A method as in claim 1, wherein the particulate composition and the liquid phase binder are reacted in the presence of UV energy.

16. A system for solid free-form fabrication of three-dimensional objects, comprising:

a) a particulate composition including;

i) from 70 wt % to 99.9 wt % of polymeric particulates, and

ii) from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization initiator;

a substrate configured for supporting at least a layer of the particulate composition in a defined region; and

a liquid phase binder configured for being jetted in the defined region to polymerize at least a portion of the particulate composition to form a cement, said liquid phase binder including;

i) from 70 wt % to 90 wt % of polymerizable monomers, and

ii) from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization accelerator.

17. A system as in claim 16, further comprising ink-jet architecture configured for jetting the liquid phase binder onto the particulate blend.

18. A system as in claim 16, said system configured for forming multiple layers of cement such that each layer is bound to at least one adjacent layer.

19. A system as in claim 16, wherein the particulate composition further comprises from 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of nanoparticle fillers.

20. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymeric particulates include a member selected from the group consisting of acrylate particulates, methacrylate particulates, siloxane particulates, and combinations thereof.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the polymeric particulates include polymethylmethacrylate homopolymers or copolymers having a weight average molecular weight from 20,000 Mw to 1,000,000 Mw.

22. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymerization initiator includes a member selected from the group consisting of a free radical initiator base and an organic peroxide.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein the polymerization initiator includes dibenzoyl peroxide.

24. A system as in claim 16, wherein the liquid phase binder further comprises a liquid stabilizer.

25. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymerizable monomers include a member selected from the group consisting of acrylate monomers, methacrylate monomers, and combinations thereof.

26. A system as in claim 25, wherein the polymerizable monomers include methylmethacrylate monomers.

27. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymerization accelerator is an amine.

28. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine.

29. A system as in claim 16, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes dihydroxyethyl-p-toluidine.

30. A system as in claim 16, wherein the liquid phase binder further includes a colorant.

31. A system as in claim 16, further comprising a UV source configured for curing the cement.

32. A solid three-dimensional object, comprising multiple layers of a polymeric cement deposited in contact with one another, said polymeric cement having a polymer content greater than 80 wt %, wherein each layer of the polymeric cement is prepared by contacting a liquid phase binder with a particulate composition, said particulate composition including 70 wt % to 99.9 wt % of polymeric particulates and from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization initiator, and said liquid phase binder including from 70 wt % to 90 wt % of polymerizable monomers and from 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a polymerization accelerator.

33. An object as in claim 32, wherein the object is void of surface pores larger than about 10 microns.

34. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymeric cement includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylates, methacrylates, siloxanes, and combinations thereof.

35. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymer content is greater than 80 wt %.

36. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymerization accelerator reacts with the polymerization initiator causing the polymerization initiator to polymerize the polymerizable monomers.

37. An object as in claim 36, wherein the polymerizable monomers, once polymerized, become crosslinked with the polymeric particulates.

38. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymerization initiator includes a member selected from the group consisting of a free radical initiator base and an organic peroxide.

39. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes an amine.

40. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine.

41. An object as in claim 32, wherein the polymerization accelerator includes dihydroxyethyl-p-toluidine.