Three dimensional printing material system and method

• US 7,087,109 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Z CORPORATION (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gilchrist, Grieta, Clark, Sarah, Bredt, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brunsman, David M
• Application Number:
  US10/255,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 106/683, 106/689, 106/690, 106/691, 106/31.13, 524/4, 524/5
• US Class Current: 106/691
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/465 Applying setting liquid to dry mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/02 Granular materials , e.g. microballoons
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/30 Oxides other than silica ferrites C04B14/363
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0092 for improving green strength
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/10 Accelerators; Activators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00181 Mixtures specially adapted for three-dimensional printing (3DP), stereo-lithography or prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/064 of the alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/122 Hydroxy amines
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/14 containing calcium sulfate cements gypsum-paper plates E04C
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/30 containing magnesium cements or similar cementsmagnesium oxide cements C04B28/10
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/34 containing cold phosphate binders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a three-dimensional printing system and method, and an article made therefrom. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous fluid to a particle material that includes a first particulate material, a second particulate material, and a third particulate material, wherein the first and second particulate materials react in the presence of the fluid in a period of time, and the third particulate material reacts in the presence of the fluid to form a solid in a longer period of time.

Claims

1. A solid article comprising:

a product of a mixture of a plurality of particles of;

a first particulate material comprising monocalcium phosphate, anhydrous;

a second particulate material comprising magnesium oxide; and

a third particulate material comprising polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the first particulate material and the second particulate material can react to form a solid in a period of time, and the third particulate material can solidify in a longer period of time when the mixture is contacted by a fluid during three-dimensional printing, the article having been formed by three-dimensional printing and comprising a plurality of layers of the mixture.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first particulate material and the second particulate material react in the presence of the fluid.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first particulate material and the second particulate material is substantially soluble in the fluid.

4. The article of claim 2, wherein the fluid is aqueous.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the mixture of plurality of particles further comprises a filler.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of:

limestone, staurolite, silica sand, zircon sand, olivine sand, chromite sand, magnesite, alumina silicate, calcium silicate, fused silica, calcium phosphate, rutile, bentonite, montmorillonite, glass, chamotte, fireclay, and mixtures thereof.

7. A compound used in three-dimensional printing, comprising:

a dry particulate mixture of;

a first dry particulate material comprising monocalcium phosphate, anhydrous;

a second dry particulate material comprising magnesium oxide; and

a third dry particulate material comprising polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the dry particulate mixture can be used in three-dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the first particulate material and the second particulate material can react to form a solid in a period of time, and the third particulate material can solidify in a longer period of time when the mixture is contacted by a fluid during three-dimensional printing.

8. The compound of claim 7, wherein the first particulate material and the second particulate material react in the presence of the fluid.

9. The compound of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first particulate material and the second particulate material is substantially soluble in the fluid.

10. The compound of claim 7, wherein the mixture of plurality of particles further comprises a filler.

11. The compound of claim 10, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of:

limestone, staurolite, silica sand, zircon sand, olivine sand, chromite sand, magnesite, alumina silicate, calcium silicate, fused silica, calcium phosphate, rutile, bentonite, montmorillonite, glass, chamotte, fireclay, and mixtures thereof.

12. The compound of claim 8, wherein the fluid is aqueous.

13. A dry particulate mixture of solids used for three-dimensional printing that, when contacted by a fluid during three-dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, undergoes a first solidification reaction beginning with the fluid contact and occurring at a first rate, and also undergoes a second solidification reaction beginning with the fluid contact and occurring at a second rate slower than the first rate, wherein the dry particulate mixture comprises:

a first dry particulate material comprising monocalcium phosphate, anhydrous;

a second dry particulate material comprising magnesium oxide; and

a third dry particulate material comprising polyvinyl alcohol.