Polymer-synthesizing binder compositions for additive fabrication and related methods and compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397502-B1
Application number	US-202218084802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2021
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

Techniques are described for fabricating sinterable metallic parts by coating a metal powder with a first material, and by depositing a binder composition onto the metal powder that contains a second material, then causing the first and second materials to react to form a polymer. The first and second materials may be selected so that they combine to produce a desired polymer. The binder composition may be deposited using conventional binder jetting techniques.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of additive manufacturing comprising:
forming ones or more parts by performing, a plurality of times:
depositing a layer of metal powder, wherein particles of the metal powder are coated with a first material; and
depositing a binder composition on at least a portion of the layer of metal powder, the binder composition comprising a second material; and

curing the metal powder and binder composition, wherein said curing causes the first material to react with the second material and thereby form a polymer, wherein the first material comprises dimethyl terephthalate diester.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein curing the metal powder and binder composition comprises heating the metal powder and binder composition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein curing the metal powder and binder composition comprises heating the metal powder and binder composition to above 180° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a monomer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises an aliphatic diester or an aromatic diester.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material is a dial or a polyol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material is polyethylene glycol.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material is monoethylene glycol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder composition comprises the second material in an amount greater than 90% w/w.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyethyleterphthalate (PET).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a polyester.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder composition does not comprise a polymer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder composition comprises water and ethylene glycol.

14. A method of additive manufacturing comprising:
forming ones or more parts by performing, a plurality of times:
depositing a layer of metal powder, wherein particles of the metal powder are coated with a first material; and
depositing a binder composition on at least a portion of the layer of metal powder, the binder composition comprising a second material; and

curing the metal powder and binder composition, wherein said curing causes the first material to react with the second material and thereby form a polymer,
wherein the polymer is a polyester.

15. A method of additive manufacturing comprising:
forming ones or more parts by performing, a plurality of times:
depositing a layer of metal powder, wherein particles of the metal powder are coated with a first material; and
depositing a binder composition on at least a portion of the layer of metal powder, the binder composition comprising a second material; and

curing the metal powder and binder composition, wherein said curing causes the first material to react with the second material and thereby form a polymer,
wherein the binder composition does not comprise a polymer.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Nick Robert J

Classifications

• B22F3/1021

  Removal of binder or filler (removal of binder from ceramics C04B35/638) · CPC title

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/165 Primary

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title