Ultra-violet light curable hot melt composition

• US 7,378,460 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Stockwell, John S., Doan, Vu A., Schmidt, Kris Alan, Holden, Susan Kay, Xu, Pingyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain; Edward J
• Application Number:
  US10/958,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 347/102, 264/401, 523/160
• US Class Current: 523/160
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• 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: C08K 5/01 Hydrocarbons C08K5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/05 Alcohols; Metal alcoholates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 91/06 Waxes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/101 Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/34 Hot-melt inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/16 having terminal carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds

Abstract

A UV curable composition useful for three-dimensional inkjet printing comprising (i) at least one UV curable urethane (meth)acrylate resin; (ii) at least one wax; (iii) at least one (meth)acrylate diluent; (iv) at least one photoinitiator; and (v) at least one polymerization inhibitor; wherein the amount of wax (ii) is sufficient to phase change the UV curable composition after jetting.

Claims

1. A method of selective deposition modeling for creating raised and special printing effects using inkjet technology comprising the steps of:

depositing on the area selected for the printing effects a UV light curable composition, the composition comprising (i) at least one UV curable urethane (meth)acrylate resin;

(ii) at least one linear carbamate wax selected one from the group consisting of the structure C_nH_(2n+1)NC(O)OC_mH_(2m)OC(O)C(CH₃₎═

CH₂ wherein n is an integer from about 12 to about 18 and m is an integer from about 2 to about 12;

the structure C_nH_(2n+1)(O)OCNC₂H₄OOCC(CH₃)═

CH₂ wherein n is an integer from about 4 to about 18 the structure C₁₈H₃₇NCOOC_nH_(2n+1) wherein n is an integer from 4 to 16 and combinations thereof;

(iii) at least one (meth)acrylate diluent;

(iv) at least one photoinitiator; and

(v) at least one polymerization inhibitor;

wherein the amount of wax (ii) is sufficient to phase change the UV curable composition after jetting; and

curing the area with UV light;

wherein the amount of material to be deposited corresponds to the area selected for the printing effects and the height of the raised area relative to the medium on which the composition is deposited.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of depositing comprises the step of jetting the UV light curable composition.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of depositing comprises the step of selectively adjusting the output from each of a plurality of ink-jet nozzles, to control the amount of material dispensed form each nozzle.

4. A selective deposition modeling method of forming at least a portion of a three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, comprising the steps of:

a) generating computer data corresponding to layers of the object;

b) providing a build material which is a fluid of at least one temperature between 40°

C. and about 90°

C., comprising the composition of claim 1;

c) elevating the temperature of the material to a temperature above 70°

C. to about 90°

C.;

d) selectively dispensing the material at the elevated temperature according to computer data to form a layer of object;

e) providing an environment that lowers the temperature of said dispensed material into a solid state;

f) subjected the solid dispensed material to a UV light to cure the material; and

g) repeating steps d), e), and f) to form subsequent layers until at least said portion of the object is formed.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step d) is accomplished by jetting the composition through at least one jet head.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising correcting the thickness of at least one layer prior to curing the material by planarizing the dispensed material to remove excess material and create a uniformly smooth exposed surface.