Selective deposition modeling material

• US 6,476,122 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Huntsman Advanced Materials Americas, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vantico Inc.
• Inventors: Leyden, Richard Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagannathan, Vasu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shosho, Callie E.
• Application Number:
  US09/334,086
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 524/577, 524/528, 524/488, 524/296, 524/277, 524/270, 524/271, 264/401
• US Class Current: 524/577
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
• 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 45/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having no unsaturated aliphatic radicals in side chain, and having one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds in a carbocyclic or in a heterocyclic ring system; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers of cyclic anhydrides or imides C08L35/00; of cyclic esters of polyfunctional acids C08L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 57/00 Compositions of unspecified polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 91/00 Compositions of oils, fats or waxes; Compositions of derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 123/02 not modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 123/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene

Abstract

The present invention relates to a selective deposition modeling material containing a base material, a plasticizing component containing at least 10% by weight of at least one plasticizing agent that is solid at ambient conditions, and at least one tackifying resin that is compatible with the base material and the plasticizing component, wherein the modeling material has a viscosity of less than about 30 centipoise at 130° C. The selective deposition modeling material can alternatively contain about 52% to 98% of a reactive polymeric material that is a mixture of at least one compound containing at least one glycidyl group per molecule, at least one compound having at least one terminal unsaturated group per molecule, at least one compound having at least one vinyl ether group per molecule or mixtures thereof; and a cure agent or activator; and optionally a non-reactive polymeric material or wax material, wherein the modeling material contains a fast set inducing segment content of about 10% to 70% by weight. The present invention further relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional article using said modeling materials.

Claims

1. A selective deposition modeling material for ink jet applications comprising:

a) a base material comprising at least one homopolymer and/or copolymer;

b) about 8 to 15% by weight of a plasticizing component, said plasticizing component containing at least 10% by weight of at least one plasticizing agent that is solid at ambient conditions, wherein the plasticizing component is a mixture of at least one plasticizing agent that is solid at ambient conditions and at least one plasticizing agent that is liquid at ambient conditions;

c) at least one tackifying resin that is compatible with the base material and the plasticizing component,

wherein the modeling material has a viscosity of less than about 30 centipoise at 130°

C.

2. A modeling material according to claim 1 wherein the base material comprises a mixture of long-chain polyolefinic molecules having a number average molecular weight of between about 500 and 10,000.

3. A modeling material according to claim 2 wherein the mixture of long-chain polyolefinic molecules have a number average molecular weight of about 4000.

4. A modeling material according to claim 1 wherein the base material comprises a mixture of polyolefinic molecules having sufficient branching that allows long-range chain entanglement and provides interstitial voids for the positioning of plasticizing agents between and amongst adjacent polyolefinic molecules.

5. A modeling material according to claim 1 wherein the modeling material is a homogenous single-phase solution.

6. A modeling material according to claim 1 comprising

a) about 50% to 70% by weight of base material,

b) about 8% to 15% of plasticizing component,

c) about 15% to 30% of tackifying resin, and

d) optionally, customary additives

with the total amount of the recited components totaling 100% by weight.

7. A modeling material according to claim 1 comprising

a) about 60% to 65% of base material,

b) about 10% to 12% of plasticizing component,

c) about 20% to 25% of tackifying resin, and

d) optionally, customary additives

with the total amount of the recited components totaling 100% by weight.

8. A modeling material according to claim 1 comprising

a) about 60% to 65% of base material,

b) about 10% to 12% of plasticizing component,

c) about 20% to 25% of tackifying resin, and

d) optionally, customary additives

with the total amount of the recited components totaling 100% by weight, and wherein the base material contains a mixture of at least one thermoplastic and at least one thermosetting material.

9. A method for producing a three-dimensional article comprising:

a) providing a container of a solid modeling material according to claim 1 in communication with a moveable dispensing unit;

b) subjecting at least a portion of the solid modeling material to an elevated temperature in order to produce a flowable liquid material;

c) dispensing said flowable liquid material in desired locations of a platform or regions of a partially formed three-dimensional article in order to produce said three-dimensional article.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of subjecting the at least partially formed three-dimensional article to a finishing temperature that is greater than the temperature used in step b).

11. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of subjecting the three-dimensional article produced in step c) to a finishing temperature that is greater than the temperature used in step b).

12. A selective deposition modeling material for ink jet applications comprising:

a) a base material comprising at least one branched polymer that is a homopolymer and/or copolymer;

b) a plasticizing component containing at least 10% by weight of at least one plasticizing agent that is solid at ambient conditions;

c) at least one tackifying resin that is compatible with the base material and the plasticizing component,

wherein the modeling material has a viscosity of less than about 30 centipoise at 130°

C.

13. A selective deposition modeling material according to claim 12, comprising

a) about 50% to 70% by weight of base material;

b) about 8% to 15% by weight of plasticizing component; and

c) about 15% to 30% by weight of tackifying resin.

14. A selective deposition modeling material according to claim 12, wherein the modeling material is a homogenous single-phase solution.