Three dimensional printing material system and method using peroxide cure

• US 8,157,908 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Derek X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidleck, James J
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VU ANH
• Application Number:
  US13/016,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 264/460, 264/463
• US Class Current: 106/400
• 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

Abstract

A materials system and methods are provided to enable the formation of articles by Three Dimensional Printing. The materials system includes a transition metal catalyst that facilitates the reaction of an acrylate-containing binder with a particulate material.

Claims

1. A powder material system for three dimensional printing comprising:

a dry particulate material comprising;

an insoluble filler,

a soluble filler, and

a transition metal catalyst,

wherein the dry particulate material is suitable for use in three dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the layers including a reaction product of the particulate material and a non-aqueous fluid that contacts the particulate material during three dimensional printing, the insoluble filler is insoluble in the non-aqueous fluid, the soluble filler is soluble in the non-aqueous fluid, and an internal angle of friction of the particulate material has a value selected from a range of 40°

to 70°

.

2. A powder material system for three dimensional printing comprising:

a dry particulate material comprising;

an insoluble filler,

a soluble filler, and

a transition metal catalyst,

wherein the dry particulate material is suitable for use in three dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the layers including a reaction product of the particulate material and a non-aqueous fluid that contacts the particulate material during three dimensional printing, the insoluble filler is insoluble in the non-aqueous fluid, the soluble filler is soluble in the non-aqueous fluid, and a critical surface tension of the particulate material is greater than 20 dynes/cm.

3. A powder material system for three dimensional printing comprising:

a dry particulate material comprising;

an insoluble filler,

a soluble filler, and

a transition metal catalyst,

wherein the dry particulate material is suitable for use in three dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the layers including a reaction product of the particulate material and a non-aqueous fluid that contacts the particulate material during three dimensional printing, the insoluble filler is insoluble in the non-aqueous fluid, the soluble filler is soluble in the non-aqueous fluid, and the particulate material comprises about 50%-90% by weight of the insoluble filler, about 10-50% by weight of the soluble filler, and about 0.01-0.5% by weight of the transition metal catalyst.

4. A powder material system for three dimensional printing comprising:

a dry particulate material comprising;

an insoluble filler,

a soluble filler selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate polymers, ethyl methacrylate polymers, butyl methacrylate polymers, polyvinylbutyral, and combinations thereof, and

a transition metal catalyst,

wherein the dry particulate material is suitable for use in three dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the layers including a reaction product of the particulate material and a non-aqueous fluid that contacts the particulate material during three dimensional printing, the insoluble filler is insoluble in the non-aqueous fluid, the soluble filler is soluble in the non-aqueous fluid, and the soluble filler has a weight-average molecular weight selected from a range of 100,000 g/mol to 500,000 g/mol.

5. A powder material system for three dimensional printing comprising:

a dry particulate material comprising;

an insoluble filler,

a soluble filler, and

a transition metal catalyst, and

a pigment,

wherein the dry particulate material is suitable for use in three dimensional printing to form an article comprised of a plurality of layers, the layers including a reaction product of the particulate material and a non-aqueous fluid that contacts the particulate material during three dimensional printing, the insoluble filler is insoluble in the non-aqueous fluid, and the soluble filler is soluble in the non-aqueous fluid.

6. The material system of claim 5, wherein the particulate material comprises about 0.5-5% by weight of the pigment.

7. The material system of claim 5, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, titanium dioxide, zirconium silicate, lead carbonate, and hollow borosilicate glass spheres.