Laser-Sinterable Powder and Shaped Article Thereof

• US 20110129682A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Techno Polymer Co., Ltd. (JSR Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Techno Polymer Co., Ltd. (JSR Corporation)
• Inventors: Oizumi, Shunsuke, Kitada, Fusamichi, Niino, Toshiki, Kurata, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US12/673,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20110129682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/500
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2009/125 Micropellets, microgranules, microparticles
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/12 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/02 not modified by chemical after treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2367/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; C08J2367/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/12 Powdering or granulating
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0838 Copolymers of ethene with aromatic monomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 25/06 Polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/04 grafted on to rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A laser-sinterable resin powder, which retains properties of styrene resins such as impact resistance and low water absorption and shows sharp decrease of melt viscosity similarly to crystalline resins at a temperature not lower than the glass transition temperature can be made of a thermoplastic resin composition containing 10-80 mass % of a crystalline resin (A) with a melting point of 80-250° C. and 20-90 mass % of a styrene resin (B), and having a 50% average particle diameter of 10-100 μm. The Component (A) is preferably a polyolefin resin. The Component (B) is preferably a rubber-reinforced styrene resin composition, wherein the rubber component is preferably an ethylene-α-olefin copolymer rubber and/or a hydrogenated product of a diene rubber. The laser-sinterable powder preferably has a melt flow rate of 5-500 g/10 min.

Claims

1. A laser-sinterable powder made of a thermoplastic resin composition comprising 10-80 mass % of the following Component (A) and 20-90 mass % of the following Component (B), and having a 50% average particle diameter of 10-100 μ

m, wherein

Component (A) is a crystalline resin with a melting point of 80-250°

C.

Component (B) is a styrene resin.

2. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 1, wherein Component (A) is a polyolefin resin.

3. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 1, wherein Component (B) is a rubber-reinforced styrene resin composition obtained by polymerizing a monomer component (b) comprising an aromatic vinyl monomer and optionally another monomer copolymerizable with the aromatic vinyl monomer in a presence of a rubber-like polymer (a).

4. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 3, wherein component (a) is an ethylene-α

-olefin copolymer rubber and/or a hydrogenated product of a diene rubber.

5. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 1, wherein said laser-sinerable powder has a melt flow rate, measured in accordance with ISO 1133 under the conditions of a temperature of 180°

C. with a load of 10 kg, of 5-500 g/10 min.

6. A shaped article made of the laser-sinterable powder according to claim 1.

7. The shaped article according to claim 6, which is obtained by irradiating a thin layer of a laser-sinterable powder with a laser beam so as to selectively sinter the powder of the thin layer, and then repeating a step of layering another thin layer of a laser-sinterable powder on the thin layer, followed by irradiating the another thin layer with a laser beam so as to selectively sinter the powder of the another thin layer.

8. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 2, wherein Component (B) is a rubber-reinforced styrene resin composition obtained by polymerizing a monomer component (b) comprising an aromatic vinyl monomer and optionally another monomer copolymerizable with the aromatic vinyl monomer in a presence of a rubber-like polymer (a).

9. The laser-sinterable powder according to claim 8, wherein component (a) is an ethylene-α

-olefin copolymer rubber and/or a hydrogenated product of a diene rubber.