Water-soluble support material formulation usable in additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12220875-B2
Application number	US-202218574829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A support material formulation for use in additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, which, when hardened, is soluble upon immersion in water, is provided. The formulation includes a hydrophilic curable mono-functional material; a polyol (e.g., a branched polyol) having a molecular weight lower than 1,000, or lower than 800 grams/mol; and a polyester material having a molecular weight higher than 400, or higher than 500, grams/mol. Additive manufacturing using the disclosed formulation and objects made thereby are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support material formulation for use in additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, the formulation comprising:
a hydrophilic curable mono-functional material;
a polyol having a molecular weight lower than 800 grams/mol; and
a polyester material having an average molecular weight higher than 400 grams/mol,
wherein an amount of said polyester material ranges from 10 to 20% by weight of the total weight of the formulation,
the support material formulation being characterized as providing a hardened material that is dissolvable when immersed in static water at room temperature.

2. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein said polyester material is liquid at room temperature or is soluble in the formulation at room temperature.

3. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein said polyester material is or comprises a polycaprolactone.

4. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein said polyol is a branched polyol.

5. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of said polyol to said polyester material is no more than 4:1.

6. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of said polyol to said polyester material ranges from about 3:1 to about 2:1.

7. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein an amount of said polyol ranges from 30 to 60% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

8. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein said polyol is a branched poly (alkylene glycol).

9. The support material formulation of claim 1 , wherein said hydrophilic curable material is a photocurable material.

10. The support material formulation of claim 9 , further comprising a photoinitiator.

11. The support material formulation of claim 10 , wherein an amount of said photoinitiator ranges from 0.5 to 3% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

12. The support material formulation of claim 1 , further comprising a surface active agent and/or a polymerization inhibitor.

13. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:
receiving three-dimensional printing data corresponding to the shape of the object;
dispensing droplets of an uncured building material in layers, on a receiving medium, using at least one inkjet printing head, according to said printing data,
said uncured building material comprising at least one modeling material formulation and at least one support material formulation, said support material formulation being a formulation according to claim 1 .

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, subsequent to said dispensing, exposing said layers to a curing condition, to thereby provide a hardened modeling material and a hardened support material.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising removing said hardened support material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein removing said hardened support material is by immersion in static water.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein removing said hardened support material is by immersion in circulating water.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein removing said hardened support material is by immersion in a water bath and applying sonication to the water bath.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein removing said hardened support material is by dishwashing using detergent-free water.

Assignees

• Stratasys Ltd

Inventors

• Kuno Lev
• Peri Dani
• Zadok Uri
• Kimelblat Jankiel

Classifications

• C09D11/38

  characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes · CPC title

• C09D11/104

  Polyesters · CPC title

• C09D11/101

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title

• B29K2995/0092

  hydrophilic · CPC title

• B29K2995/0062

  water-soluble · CPC title