COMBINED THERMAL AND UV/VISIBLE LIGHT CURING STEREOLITHOGRAPHY

• US 20160159009A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philip L. Canale
• Original Assignee: Philip L. Canale
• Inventors: Canale, Philip L.
• Application Number:
  US14/960,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159009A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B29K 2063/00 Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0002 monomers or prepolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/24 crosslinked or vulcanised
• 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 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters

Abstract

A process, material, and apparatus are provided for effectuating thermal stereolithography utilizing combined thermal and ultraviolet and/or visible light curing. In an embodiment, the process may include providing a material including a thermoplastic component and a thermosetting component. The process may also include heating the material to at least partially flow the thermoplastic component. The process may also include dispensing the material in a plurality of layers to form a desired three dimensional object. The process may further include illuminating the material with electromagnetic radiation to at least partially polymerize the thermosetting component.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

providing a material including a thermoplastic component and a thermosetting component;

heating the material to at least partially flow the thermoplastic component;

dispensing the material in a plurality of layers to form a desired three dimensional object; and

illuminating the material with electromagnetic radiation to at least partially polymerize the thermosetting component.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a separate thermoplastic component and thermosetting component.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a mixture of a thermoplastic component and a thermosetting component.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a thermoplastic component having cross-linkable thermosetting functionalities.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the thermosetting component includes one or more of a monomer, a dimer, a trimer, and a partially pre-polymerized material.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material is provided as a filament having a diameter between about 0.2 mm to about 5.0 mm.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a mixture including two or more of:

i) one of an epoxy resin, a hydroxyl functionalized polymer, and a glycidyl ether functionalized polymer;

ii) a thermoplastic resin;

iii) an epoxy;

iv) a vinyl ether functional monomer, dimmer, trimer, tetramer, pentamer, hexamer, heptomer, or octomer of a vinyl ether functional material;

v) a divinylbenzene, secondary or tertiary hydroxyl functionalized lower molecular weight liquid polymer;

vi) an epoxy functionalized lower molecular weight material;

vii) a photosensitive cationic curing agent;

vii) a sensitizer.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes a mixture of two or more of:

i) an acrylate functionalized polymer capable of being further polymerized by a free radical photoinitiator;

ii) an olefin functionalized polymer capable of being further polymerized by a free radical photoinitiator;

iii) a bismaleimide resin;

iv) a thermoplastic resin;

v) one or more of an acrylate functional monomer, dimmer, trimer, tetramer, pentamer, hexamer, heptomer, octomer, and hexamer;

vi) a styrene functionalized material including divinylbenzene;

vii) an olefin functionalized lower molecular weight liquid polymer;

viii) a photosensitive free radical curing agent; and

ix) a sensitizer including one or more of a dye, and anthracene, and a derivatives thereof, capable of acting to extend the frequency curing range of a free radical curing agent to a longer wave length.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the material includes one or more of a filler and reinforcement.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing the material plurality of layers includes at least partially fusing adjacent layers.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing the material in a plurality of layers includes heating and dispensing the material via a nozzle.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation includes one or more of ultraviolet light and visible light.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least partially polymerizing the thermosetting material includes cross-linking one or more functional moieties of the thermosetting component.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least partially polymerizing the thermosetting component includes at least partially polymerizing one or more of a monomer, a dimer, a trimer, and a low molecular weight polymer.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least partially polymerizing the thermosetting component includes a free radical photopolymerization mechanism.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein illuminating the material includes illuminating a printing compartment in which the material is dispensed.

17. The process according to claim 1, wherein heating the material includes heating the material within a printing nozzle, and illuminating the material includes illuminating the material inside of the printing nozzle.

18. The process according to claim 1, wherein dispensing the material includes dispensing the material from a printing nozzle, and illuminating the material includes illuminating the material dispensed from the printing nozzle.

19. A material comprising:

a filament capable of being used in a thermal stereolithography process, the filament including at least a thermoplastic component and a thermosetting component.

20. The material of claim 19, wherein the filament comprises a mixture including two or more of:

i) one of an epoxy resin, a hydroxyl functionalized polymer, and a glycidyl ether functionalized polymer;

ii) a thermoplastic resin;

iii) an epoxy;

iv) a vinyl ether functional monomer, dimmer, trimer, tetramer, pentamer, hexamer, heptomer, or octomer of a vinyl ether functional material;

v) a divinylbenzene, secondary or tertiary hydroxyl functionalized lower molecular weight liquid polymer;

vi) an epoxy functionalized lower molecular weight material;

vii) a photosensitive cationic curing agent;

vii) a sensitizer.

21. The material of claim 19, wherein the filament comprises a mixture of two or more of:

i) an acrylate functionalized polymer capable of being further polymerized by a free radical photoinitiator;

ii) an olefin functionalized polymer capable of being further polymerized by a free radical photoinitiator;

iii) a bismaleimide resin;

iv) a thermoplastic resin;

v) one or more of an acrylate functional monomer, dimmer, trimer, tetramer, pentamer, hexamer, heptomer, octomer, and hexamer;

vi) a styrene functionalized material including divinylbenzene;

vii) an olefin functionalized lower molecular weight liquid polymer;

viii) a photosensitive free radical curing agent; and

ix) a sensitizer including one or more of a dye, and anthracene, and a derivatives thereof, capable of acting to extend the frequency curing range of a free radical curing agent to a longer wave length.