Phase change support material composition

• US 7,399,796 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• 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: Xu, Pingyong, Doan, Vu A., Ruatta, Stephen A., Schmidt, Kris Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain; Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US10/870,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 523/160, 523/161, 524/198, 524/270, 524/385, 524/487
• US Class Current: 523/160
• 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: C08L 91/06 Waxes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/00 Inks
• 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 jettable non-curable support material composition useful for three-dimensional ink jet printing comprising at least one fatty alcohol and at least one abietic rosin ester alcohol, wherein the support material has a melting point between about 50° C. to about 65° C. and a freezing point between about 45° C. to about 55° C.

Claims

1. A method for creating raised area and special printing effects using ink jet technology comprising the steps of:

jetting a UV light curable composition on an area selected for the special printing effects in an amount corresponding to the area selected and a desired height for the raised area relative to a medium on which it is deposited;

jetting a non-curable support material on the area selected wherein the amount of material to be deposited corresponds to the area selected for said printing effects and the height of the raised area relative to the medium on which said composition is deposited, wherein said non-curable support material that comprises from about 50% to about 80% by weight of a fatty alcohol or combinations of fatty alcohols of the structure C_nH_2n+1OH wherein n is an integer from about 12 to about 22;

curing the area selected with UV light; and

removing the support material by applying heat to melt away the support material.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the non-curable support material has a viscosity at about 80°

C. of from about 10.0 to about 19.0 centipoise.

3. 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 said object;

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

C. and about 90°

C.;

c) providing a non-curable support material which is a fluid at at least one temperature between about 40°

C. and about 90°

C. comprising at least one fatty alcohol of the structure C_nH_2n+1OH wherein n is an integer from about 12 to about 22 and an abietic rosin ester;

d) elevating the temperature of the build material and the support material to a temperature above 70°

C. to about 90°

C.;

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

f) selectively dispensing the support material at the elevated temperature according to the computer data to form a layer of support material contiguous to the build material;

g) providing an environment that lowers the temperature of the dispensed build material and the support material into a solid state;

h) subjecting the solid dispensed material to a UV light to cure the build material; and

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

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step e) is accomplished by jetting the composition through at least one print head.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the non-curable support material comprising from about 60% to about 80% by weight of a fatty alcohol or combinations of fatty alcohols of the structure C_nH_2n+1OH where n is an integer from about 10 to about 22 and the fatty alcohol comprises about 205 to about 405 by weight of the non-curable support material.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the non-curable support material has a viscosity at about 80°

C. about 10.0 to about 19.0 centipoise.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the non-curable support material has a viscosity at about 80°

C. of from about 11.0 to about 14.0 centipoise.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the non-curable support material has a viscosity at about 80°

C. of from about 11.3 to about 11.8 centipoise.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein step e) is accomplished by jetting the composition through at least one piezoelectric print head.