Three dimensional printing material system and method using plasticizer-assisted sintering

• US 8,506,862 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Giller, Eugene, Williams, Derek X.
• Primary Examiner(s): USELDING, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US13/019,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 524/8, 524/385, 264/128
• US Class Current: 264/128
• 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: B29C 64/188 involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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, kit, and methods are provided to enable the formation of articles by three dimensional printing. A method includes providing a particulate material comprising a plurality of adjacent particles, the particulate material including an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic; applying to at least some of the plurality of particles an aqueous fluid binder in an amount sufficient to bond those particles together to define an intermediate article; and immersing the intermediate article in a liquid infiltrant medium to define a final article.

Claims

1. A method for forming a final article by three dimensional printing, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate material comprising a plurality of adjacent particles, the particulate material comprising an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic;

applying to at least some of the plurality of particles an aqueous fluid binder in an amount sufficient to bond those particles together to define an intermediate article; and

thereafter, performing a post-processing treatment comprising immersing the intermediate article in a liquid infiltrant medium comprising a plasticizer to define the final article, wherein a composition of the liquid infiltrant medium is different from a composition of the aqueous fluid binder and wherein the liquid infiltrant medium comprises 0-99.99% by weight hydroxylated hydrocarbon, 0-99.99% by weight a solid wax, no more than 99.99% by weight a plasticizer, and 0.01-5% by weight a stabilizer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydroxylated hydrocarbon comprises a hydrocarbon diol with a molecular weight greater than 118 g/mol, a melting point greater than 30°

C., and a kinematic viscosity of less than or equal to 150 centiStokes at a temperature of at least 50°

C.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hydrocarbon diol comprises octane diol.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the hydrocarbon diol comprises decane diol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid infiltrant medium comprises 69.99-99.99% by weight hydroxylated hydrocarbon, no more than 30% by weight a plasticizer, and 0.01-5% by weight a stabilizer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid infiltrant medium comprises 79.99-99.99% by weight solid wax, no more than 20% by weight a plasticizer, and 0.01-5% by weight a stabilizer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydroxylated hydrocarbon comprises an alcohol having a boiling point selected from a range of 25°

C. to 100°

C., and the plasticizer has a boiling point selected from a range of 25°

C. to 100°

C.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the alcohol comprises isopropanol.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plasticizer comprises ethanol.

10. A method for forming a final article by three dimensional printing, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate material comprising a plurality of adjacent particles, the particulate material comprising an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic;

applying to at least some of the plurality of particles an aqueous fluid binder in an amount sufficient to bond those particles together to define an intermediate article; and

thereafter, performing a post-processing treatment comprising immersing the intermediate article in a liquid infiltrant medium comprising a plasticizer to define the final article, wherein a composition of the liquid infiltrant medium is different from a composition of the aqueous fluid binder and wherein the liquid infiltrant medium comprises 30-100% by weight fugitive hydroxylated hydrocarbon, 0-50% by weight a solvent, and no more than 30% by weight a plasticizer.

11. A method for forming an article by three dimensional printing, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate material comprising a plurality of adjacent particles, the particulate material comprising an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic;

applying to at least some of the plurality of particles an aqueous fluid binder in an amount sufficient to bond those particles together to define the article; and

immersing the article in a liquid infiltrant medium,

wherein the particulate material comprises (i) an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic particulate material selected from the group consisting of a polyamide 6-3 and therephthalic acid copolymer, cyclic polyolefins, and combinations thereof, (ii) plaster, and (iii) a water-soluble adhesive.

12. A method for forming a final article by three dimensional printing, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate material comprising a plurality of adjacent particles, the particulate material comprising an aqueous-insoluble thermoplastic;

applying to at least some of the plurality of particles an aqueous fluid binder in an amount sufficient to bond those particles together to define an intermediate article; and

thereafter, performing a post-processing treatment comprising immersing the intermediate article in a liquid infiltrant medium comprising a plasticizer to define the final article, wherein a composition of the liquid infiltrant medium is different from a composition of the aqueous fluid binder and wherein the liquid infiltrant medium comprises hydroxylated hydrocarbon including (i) a hydrocarbon diol with a molecular weight greater than 118 g/mol and a melting point greater than 30°

C. and (ii) a plasticizer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the hydroxylated hydrocarbon comprises decane diol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plasticizer comprises benzene sulfonamide.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plasticizer comprises propylene carbonate.