Ceramic support structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272592-B2
Application number	US-201816057171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A pre-ceramic support structure for additive manufacturing, that upon thermal processing, is soluble in various solvents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A feedstock material for use as a support material in an additive manufacturing system, the feedstock material comprising:
a pre-ceramic material in powder form; and
a thermoplastic binder having the pre-ceramic material dispersed therein, wherein the pre-ceramic material and the thermoplastic binder are in a filament form, wherein the pre-ceramic material is at least about 50% by weight of the feedstock material;
wherein the filament is configured to be melted and extruded to provide support for an article being printed in a layer by layer manner.

2. The feedstock material of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic binder is a polymeric matrix comprising one or more of polyolefins, polylactic acid polymers, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymers or combinations thereof.

3. The feedstock material of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic binder comprises up to 25% by weight of the feedstock material.

4. The feedstock material of claim 1 , and further comprising one or more fluxing materials, a polymer processing additive or combinations thereof.

5. The feedstock material of claim 4 , wherein the fluxing material comprises glass frits having boron trioxide, silicon oxide, zirconium dioxide, lithium oxide, fluorine, titanium dioxide, and combinations thereof.

6. The feedstock material of claim 1 , wherein the pre-ceramic material comprises calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate or combinations thereof.

7. The feedstock material of claim 1 , wherein the extruded feedstock material does not soften below 700 degrees C.; and does not melt below 1200 degrees C.

8. A method of building a part with additive manufacturing comprising:
printing the part wherein the part comprises at least one build layer;
printing a support structure comprising at least one support layer, the support structure configured to provide support to the part, wherein the support structure comprises a feedstock material comprising a pre-ceramic material and a polymeric binder, wherein the pre-ceramic material is at least about 50% by weight of the feedstock material;
heating the part and the support structure to a first temperature to remove the polymeric binder through thermal degradation; and
sintering the support material at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature to ceramify the support structure.

9. The method of claim 8 , and further comprising:
subjecting the ceramic support structure to a solvent to remove the ceramic support structure from the part.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solvent comprises water, carbonated solutions, acidic solutions and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymeric binder is a matrix comprising one or more of polyolefins, polylactic acid polymers, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymers or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the pre-ceramic material comprises calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feedstock material is a filament configured for building a three-dimensional support structure.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the feedstock material further comprises one or more of a fluxing materials, a polymer processing additive or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein a feedstock material for the part comprises a pre-ceramic material within a polymeric binder.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymeric binder is removed from the part as the polymeric binder is removed from support structure.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the part is sintered as the support material is sintered.

18. A method of building a part with additive manufacturing comprising:
printing the part wherein the part comprises at least one build layer;
printing a support structure comprising a plurality of layers, the support structure configured to provide support to the part, wherein the support structure comprises a feedstock material comprising a pre-ceramic material and a polymeric binder, wherein the pre-ceramic material is at least about 50% by weight of the feedstock material;
heating the part and the support structure to a first temperature to remove the polymeric binder through thermal degradation; and
sintering the support material at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature to ceramify the support structure.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the feedstock material is a filament configured for building a three-dimensional support structure.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the feedstock material further comprises one or more of a fluxing materials, a polymer processing additive or combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein a feedstock material for the part comprises a pre-ceramic material within a polymeric binder.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the polymeric material is removed from the part as the polymeric material is removed from support structure.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the part is sintered as the support material is sintered.

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Demuth Benjamin A
• Pawloski Adam R

Classifications

• C04B2235/6026

  Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping · CPC title

• C04B35/524

  obtained from polymer precursors, e.g. glass-like carbon material · CPC title

• C04B2235/3208

  Calcium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof, e.g. lime · CPC title

• C04B35/62695

  Granulation or pelletising (devices for shaping artificial aggregates from ceramic mixtures B28B1/004) · CPC title

• C04B2235/445

  Fluoride containing anions, e.g. fluosilicate · CPC title