Methods of solid freeform fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683393-B2
Application number	US-201715605644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, processes, and systems for the manufacture of three-dimensional articles of polymer materials using 3D printing. A syringe or an inkjet print head prints a solution of prepolymer onto a build plate. The printed prepolymer is exposed to a stimulus whereby the prepolymer is converted to the polymer. After a predetermined time, sequential layers are printed to provide the three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional article can be cured to produce the 3D article made from the final polymer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, the method comprising:
a. printing a solution of prepolymer on a build plate, wherein the prepolymer comprises a prepolymer of a polyketone coupled to a solubility switching moiety;
b. exposing the printed solution to a stimulus to form a polyketone polymer layer of the three-dimensional article; and
c. repeating the steps (a)-(b) to form remainder of the three-dimensional article.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyketone is polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polyetheretheretherketone (PEEEK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetheretherketone (PEKEKK), or polyetherketoneketoneketone (PEKKK).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solubility switching moiety is an alcohol or a thiol, to form a ketal, a thioketal, a dithioketal, a hemiketal of the polyketone polymer or a polyketone having one or more alkene groups or one or more epoxide groups.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein stimulus comprises heat, light, oxidation, acid catalysis, base catalysis, transition metal catalysis, or combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein light is ultraviolet, infrared, visible, or combination thereof.

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

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of curing wherein curing is done by chemical curing or thermal curing.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the thermal curing is carried out at about 300° C. or above.

9. A system for printing a three-dimensional article, the system comprising:
a printing mechanism for printing a solution of a prepolymer on a build plate to form a layer of the three-dimensional article; and
a printing controller to repeat the printing mechanism to print the solution of the prepolymer on a polymer formed by exposing the layer to a stimulus at a predetermined condition.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solubility switching moiety is an alcohol, to form a ketal, a hemiketal of the polyketone polymer or a polyketone having one or more alkene groups or one or more epoxide groups.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the solution of prepolymer comprises inkjet printing.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/112

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title

• B29C64/129

  characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask · CPC title

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• C08G65/40

  from phenols (I) and other compounds (II), e.g. OH-Ar-OH + X-Ar-X, where X is halogen atom, i.e. leaving group · CPC title