Method of three-dimensional printing

• US 9,771,487 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sacripante, Guerino G., Zhou, Ke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US14/537,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 264237, 264308
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92695 Viscosity; Melt flow index [MFI]; Molecular weight
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/78 Thermal treatment of the extrusion moulding material or of preformed parts or layers, e.g. by heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/911 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/30 Auxiliary operations or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/006 Bio-degradable, e.g. bioabsorbable, bioresorbable or bioerodible
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/104 Polyesters

Abstract

A sustainable material suitable for three-dimensional printing is disclosed. The sustainable material comprises a resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and a bio-based glycol monomer. The resulting sustainable material provides a much more robust 3-D printing material with different properties than conventional materials.

Claims

1. A method of printing comprising

providing a thermoplastic filament, wherein the thermoplastic filament further comprises

a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and bio-based glycol monomer, wherein when the sustainable resin is polybutylene succinate, the weight average molecular weight of the sustainable resin is from about 10,000 grams/mole to about 500,000 grams/mole;

further wherein the polybutylene succinate is produced through the reaction of bio-based succinic acid and 1,4-butane-diol as shown by the reaction scheme below;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating step is conducted at a temperature of from about 160 to about 260°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sustainable resin is derived from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of bio-based diacid monomer, and from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of the bio-based glycol monomer, provided that the sum of both is 100 percent.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising cooling and solidifying the formed three-dimensional object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional printing material having a Young'"'"'s Modulus of from about 0.5 to about 5 gigapascals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional printing material having a Yield Stress of from about 10 to about 100 megapascals.