Method for solid freeform fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10066119-B2
Application number	US-201614991884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, processes, and systems for the manufacture of three-dimensional articles made of polymers using 3D printing. A layer of prepolymer is deposited on a build plate to form a powder bed. The deposited powder bed is heated to about 50° C. to about 170° C. Then, a solution of activating agent is printed on the powder bed in a predetermined pattern, and a stimulus is applied converting the prepolymer to the final polymer. After a predetermined period of time, sequential layers are printed to provide the three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional object can be cured to produce the three-dimensional article composed of the final polymers.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, the method comprising:
a. depositing a powder of prepolymer on a build plate to form a powder bed wherein the prepolymer comprises polyketone having one or more alkene groups or one or more epoxide groups;
b. printing a solvent at selected locations on the powder bed;
c. exposing the printed solution to a stimulus to form a polymer layer of the three-dimensional article; and
d. repeating steps (a)-(c) to manufacture remainder of the three-dimensional article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step b further comprises heating the powder bed to about 50° C. to about 170° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step b optionally comprises a photoinitiator.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the photoinitiator is phenylacetophenone (DMPA), azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), fluorenone, a phosphine oxide, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps are repeated after about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of curing.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein curing is done by chemical curing or thermal curing.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the thermal curing is carried out at about 300° C. to or above.

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd
• Univ Washington
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boydston Andrew J
• Ganter Mark A
• Storti Duane
• Goetz Adam Edward
• Yurtoglu Mete
• Larsen Michael Byrnes
• Peterson Gregory Isaac
• Zhang Di

Classifications

• C08J2361/16

  of ketones with phenols · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C08G65/4012

  Other compound (II) containing a ketone group, e.g. X-Ar-C(=O)-Ar-X for polyetherketones · CPC title

• B29K2071/00

  Use of polyethers {, e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• C08J3/24

  Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules (mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K) · CPC title