Method and material system for building models in layers

• US 9,770,867 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Original Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Inventors: Mgele, Florian, Kellner, Imke Nora
• Primary Examiner(s): THEISEN, MARY LYNN F
• Application Number:
  US15/073,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials B05D5/00, B05D7/00 take precedence
• 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: B29K 2033/12 Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2103/00 Use of resin-bonded materials as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
• 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: C09D 133/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of methyl methacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for building modes in layers, wherein a first material and subsequent thereto selectively a second material are applied in layers in a build space, and these two application steps are repeated until a desired model is obtained. The two materials form a solid object in a suitable mixing ratio, the first material including a particulate material and the second material being applied with the aid of a print head. The first material, the second material and/or the particulate material include one or more diamines and/or one or more dicarbonyl compounds as tree binder.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

i) depositing a layer of a first material including a particulate material in a build space;

ii) selectively depositing a second material;

over the layer of the first material;

iii) reacting a diamine compound and a dicarbonyl compound in a condensation reaction for bonding a portion of the particulate material; and

iv) repeating steps i), ii), and iii) repeatedly until a desired model is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes removing the condensation product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of reacting includes forming a poly-Schiff base.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first material includes the dicarbonyl compound and the second material includes the diamine compound.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first material includes the diamine compound and the second material includes the dicarbonyl compound.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first material includes solid particles of the diamine compound and includes different solid particles of the dicarbonyl compound.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the second material is applied via a print head.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a liquid dicarbonyl compound.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a solid dicarbonyl compound and is placed in a carrier solution.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine compound is a solid diamine compound and is placed in a carrier solution.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine compound is a liquid diamine compound.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the particulate material includes a polymethyl methacrylate powder or a polyamide powder.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second material includes a carrier solution, wherein the carrier solution includes an alcohol, an ester, or both.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine is present in a quantity from 5 to 15 weight percent.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is present as a metal salt.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein

i) the diamine compound is a solid compound and the method includes bringing the diamine compound into solution;

and/or

ii) the dicarbonyl compound is a solid compound and the method includes bringing the dicarbonyl compound into solution.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the condensation reaction produces water and the process includes removing the water.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine compound includes an aliphatic diamine compound and/or an aromatic diamine compound.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein

the condensation reaction produces water and the process includes removing the water;

the second material is applied via a print head;

the particulate material includes a polymethyl methacrylate powder or a polyamide powder;

the second material includes a carrier solution, wherein the carrier solution includes an alcohol, an ester, or both;

the diamine compound includes an aliphatic diamine compound and/or an aromatic diamine compound;

the step of reacting includes forming a poly-Schiff base; and

the first material and second material are characterized by one of the following;

i) the first material includes the dicarbonyl compound and the second material includes the diamine compound, or

ii) the first material includes the diamine compound and the second material includes the dicarbonyl compound;

or

iii) the first material includes solid particles of the diamine compound and includes different solid particles of the dicarbonyl compound.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a diketone.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a metal complex of a diketone.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a liquid acetylacetone, a 2,5-hexanedione, a copper(II) acetylacetone, or a solid iron (III) acetylacetone.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a liquid dialdehyde or a solid phthaldialdehyde.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is a glyoxal, a glutaraldehyde, an isopthaldialdehyde, or a terephthaldialdehyde.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine is an aliphatic diamine or an aromatic diamine.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine is a primary diamine alkane.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine is diaminododecane, diaminohexadecane, spermine, phenylenediamine, a diaminobenzoic acid, ethylenediamine, or propylenediamine.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the diamine is a 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid and/or the dicarbonyl compound is a terephthaldialdehyde.

20. A method comprising the steps of:

i) depositing a layer of a first material including a particulate material in a build space;

ii) selectively depositing a second material over the layer of the first material;

iii) reacting a diamine compound and a dicarbonyl compound in a condensation reaction for bonding a portion of the particulate material; and

iv) repeating steps i), ii), and iii) repeatedly until a desired model is obtained;

wherein the step of reacting is catalyzed so that the reaction can proceed at room temperature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method includes removing the condensation product.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first material includes the dicarbonyl compound and the second material includes the diamine compound.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first material includes the diamine compound and the second material includes the dicarbonyl compound.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first material includes solid particles of the diamine compound and the first material further includes different solid particles of the dicarbonyl compound.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the second material is applied via a print head.