Rapid prototyping resin compositions

• US 20070049652A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CMET Inc. (Nabtesco Corporation), Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: CMET Inc. (Nabtesco Corporation), Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: Ozai, Toshiyuki, Ito, Takashi, Miyao, Takeshi, Hagiwara, Tsuneo
• Granted Patent: US 8,293,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 522/99
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 283/12 on to polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing silicon with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/08 containing silicon bound to organic groups containing atoms other than carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

Abstract

A resin composition suited for rapid prototyping is provided comprising (I) an actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition, (II) an actinic energy radiation-sensitive polymerization initiator, and (III) an actinic energy radiation absorber. The resin composition experiences little viscosity buildup and maintains fluidity during long-term storage at elevated temperature, and is effective in rapid prototyping or shaping by stereolithography using any actinic energy radiation.

Claims

1. A resin composition for rapid prototyping comprising

(I) an actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition,

(II) an actinic energy radiation-sensitive polymerization initiator, and

(III) an actinic energy radiation absorber.

2. The resin composition of claim 1 wherein the actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition (I) comprises

(A) an alkenyl-containing organopolysiloxane,

(B) a mercapto-containing organopolysiloxane, and optionally,

(C) an alkenyl-containing MQ resin.

3. The resin composition of claim 2 wherein the actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition (I) comprises

(A) an alkenyl-containing organopolysiloxane having the general formula (1):

wherein R¹ is a substituted or unsubstituted, monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms free of aliphatic unsaturation, X is an alkenyl-containing monovalent organic group, m is an integer of at least 0, n is an integer of at least 100, a is an integer of 0 to 3, with the proviso that m is at least 1 when a=0, said organopolysiloxane containing at least one alkenyl group in a molecule,

(B) a mercapto-containing organopolysiloxane having the general formula (2), (3) or (4);

R³O—

(R²YSiO)_x—

(R²₂SiO)_y—

R³ 

 

(2)
R¹₃SiO—

(R²YSiO)_x—

(R²₂SiO)_y—

SiR¹₃ 

 

(3)
[YSiO_3/2]_x[R²₃SiO_1/2]_y 

 

(4)

wherein formulae (2) and (3) are molecular formulae and formula (4) is a compositional formula representing a proportion of siloxane units, R¹ is as defined above, R² is R¹ or an alkoxy, trialkylsilyloxy or hydroxy group, R³ is R¹ or hydrogen, Y is a mercapto-containing monovalent organic group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, x is a number of at least 3, and y is a number of at least 0,

in a weight ratio of (A)/(B) ranging from 50/50 to 98/2, and

(C) an alkenyl-containing MQ resin comprising R¹₃SiO_0.5 units, R¹_(3-a)X_aSiO_0.5 units and SiO₂ units wherein R¹, X and a are as defined above, with a molar ratio of (R¹₃SiO_0.5+R¹_(3-a)X_aSiO_0.5)/SiO₂ ranging from 0.6 to 1.7, in a weight ratio of (A+B)/(C) ranging from 100/200 to 100/10.

4. The resin composition of claim 1 wherein the actinic energy radiation-sensitive polymerization initiator (II) is an actinic energy radiation-sensitive radical polymerization initiator and present in an amount of 0.1 to 5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition (I).

5. The resin composition of claim 1 wherein the actinic energy radiation absorber (III) is present in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of the actinic energy radiation-curable silicone composition (I).

6. The resin composition of claim 1 which upon exposure to actinic energy radiation, cures into a product which exhibits such elastomeric physical properties in a tensile test that it has an elongation of at least 100%, resumes the original shape after the tensile stress is relieved, and has a percent elastic recovery L0/L1 of at least 80%, provided that L0 is a length before elongation and L1 is a length after elongation.

7. The resin composition of claim 1 which upon exposure to actinic energy radiation, cures into a product which exhibits such elastomeric physical properties in a tensile test that it maintains a percent elastic recovery of at least 80% after elongation of at least 100% for a duration of at least one month.