Sustainable materials for three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016130451-A1
Application number	US-201414537215-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sustainable material suitable for three-dimensional printing is disclosed. The sustainable material comprises a resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and a bio-based glycol monomer. The resulting sustainable material provides a much more robust 3-D printing material with different properties than conventional materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sustainable three-dimensional printing material comprising
a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based diacid and bio-based glycol monomer; a colorant; and an optional additive.

2 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin is derived from about 45 to about 55 percent by mole equivalent of bio-based diacid monomer, and from about 45 to about 55 percent by mole equivalent of the bio-based glycol monomer, provided that the sum of both is 100 percent.

3 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the bio-based diacid monomer is selected from the group consisting of succinic acid, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, itaconic acid and mixtures thereof and the bio-based glycol monomer is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butane-diol, 1,3-propane-diol and 1,2-propanediol and mixtures thereof.

4 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin is selected from the group consisting of poly-(butylene-succinate), poly-(butylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(butylene-itaconate), poly-(propylene-succinate), poly-(propylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(propylene-itaconate) and mixtures thereof.

5 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 3 , wherein the sustainable resin has a formula of:

wherein n is from about 100 to about 100,000.

6 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin has a weight average molecule weight (MW) of from about 10,000 to about 500,000 grams per mole.

7 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin has a softening point of from about 120° C. to about 200° C.

8 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin has a freezing point of from about 20° C. to about 60° C.

9 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin has a viscosity of from about 200 centipoise to about 10,000 centipoise at 100° C. to about 200° C.

10 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin has a melting point of from about 75° C. to about 150° C.

11 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the sustainable resin is present in the sustainable material in an amount of from about 90% to about 99% by weight.

12 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is present in the sustainable material in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% by weight.

13 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 having a Young's Modulus of from about 0.5 to about 5 gigapascals.

14 . The three-dimensional printing material of claim 1 having a Yield Stress of from about 10 to about 100 megapascals.

15 . A sustainable three-dimensional printing material comprising:
a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based succinic acid and bio-based 1,4-butane-diol as shown by the reaction scheme below:

wherein n is from about 100 to about 100,000;
a colorant; and
an optional additive.

16 . A method of printing comprising
providing a thermoplastic filament, wherein the thermoplastic filament further comprises
a sustainable resin derived from a bio-based diacid monomer and bio-based glycol monomer,
a colorant, and
an optional additive;
heating the thermoplastic filament to its melting point; extruding the melted thermoplastic filament layer by layer; and forming a three-dimensional object from the layers of melted thermoplastic filament.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the heating step is conducted at a temperature of from about 160 to about 260° C.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the sustainable resin is derived from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of bio-based diacid monomer, and from about 48 to about 52 percent by mole equivalent of the bio-based glycol monomer, provided that the sum of both is 100 percent.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the sustainable resin is selected from the group consisting of poly-(butylene-succinate), poly-(butylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(butylene-itaconate), poly-(propylene-succinate), poly-(propylene-2,5-furanate), poly-(propylene-itaconate) and mixtures thereof.

20 . The method of claim 16 further comprising cooling and solidifying the formed three-dimensional object.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Sacripante Guerino G
• Zhou Ke

Classifications

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C2948/92695

  Viscosity; Melt flow index [MFI]; Molecular weight · CPC title

• B29C48/022

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title