SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

• US 20160130451A1
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sacripante, Guerino G., Zhou, Ke
• Granted Patent: US 9,771,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92695 Viscosity; Melt flow index [MFI]; Molecular weight
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/78 Thermal treatment of the extrusion moulding material or of preformed parts or layers, e.g. by heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/911 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 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 64/30 Auxiliary operations or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/006 Bio-degradable, e.g. bioabsorbable, bioresorbable or bioerodible
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/104 Polyesters

Abstract

A sustainable material suitable for three-dimensional printing is disclosed. The sustainable material comprises a resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and a bio-based glycol monomer. The resulting sustainable material provides a much more robust 3-D printing material with different properties than conventional materials.

Claims

1. A sustainable three-dimensional printing material comprising

a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based diacid and bio-based glycol monomer;

a colorant; and

an optional additive.

2. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin is derived from about 45 to about 55 percent by mole equivalent of bio-based diacid monomer, and from about 45 to about 55 percent by mole equivalent of the bio-based glycol monomer, provided that the sum of both is 100 percent.

3. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the bio-based diacid monomer is selected from the group consisting of succinic acid, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, itaconic acid and mixtures thereof and the bio-based glycol monomer is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butane-diol, 1,3-propane-diol and 1,2-propanediol and mixtures thereof.

4. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin is selected from the group consisting of poly-(butylene-succinate), poly-(butylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(butylene-itaconate), poly-(propylene-succinate), poly-(propylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(propylene-itaconate) and mixtures thereof.

5. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 3, wherein the sustainable resin has a formula of:

6. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin has a weight average molecule weight (MW) of from about 10,000 to about 500,000 grams per mole.

7. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin has a softening point of from about 120°

C. to about 200°

C.

8. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin has a freezing point of from about 20°

C. to about 60°

C.

9. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin has a viscosity of from about 200 centipoise to about 10,000 centipoise at 100°

C. to about 200°

C.

10. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin has a melting point of from about 75°

C. to about 150°

C.

11. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin is present in the sustainable material in an amount of from about 90% to about 99% by weight.

12. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1, wherein the colorant is present in the sustainable material in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% by weight.

13. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 having a Young'"'"'s Modulus of from about 0.5 to about 5 gigapascals.

14. The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 having a Yield Stress of from about 10 to about 100 megapascals.

15. A sustainable three-dimensional printing material comprising:

a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based succinic acid and bio-based 1,4-butane-diol as shown by the reaction scheme below;

16. A method of printing comprising

providing a thermoplastic filament, wherein the thermoplastic filament further comprises

a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and bio-based glycol monomer,

a colorant, and

an optional additive;

heating the thermoplastic filament to its melting point;

extruding the melted thermoplastic filament layer by layer; and

forming a three-dimensional object from the layers of melted thermoplastic filament.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the heating step is conducted at a temperature of from about 160 to about 260°

C.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the sustainable resin is derived from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of bio-based diacid monomer, and from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of the bio-based glycol monomer, provided that the sum of both is 100 percent.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the sustainable resin is selected from the group consisting of poly-(butylene-succinate), poly-(butylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(butylene-itaconate), poly-(propylene-succinate), poly-(propylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(propylene-itaconate) and mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising cooling and solidifying the formed three-dimensional object.