Consumable filaments having reversible reinforcement for extrusion-based additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016251486-A1
Application number	US-201415028224-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A consumable assembly for use with an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, the consumable assembly including a supply device (e.g., a spool) and a filament supported by the supply device, where the filament has a composition comprising one or more elastomers and one or more reinforcing additives, and a filament geometry configured to be received by a liquefier assembly of the additive manufacturing system. The composition is preferably configured to be thermally and/or chemically modified to reduce its flexural modulus.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A feedstock material for use in an extrusion based additive manufacturing system, the feedstock material comprising:
at least 50% by weight an elastomer; up to 50% by weight a reinforcing additive; and wherein the filament has a flexural modulus greater than about 300 megaPascals.

17 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein the elastomer is an elastomeric thermoplastic material derived from polyolefins, polyesters, styrenics, polyurethanes, or combinations thereof.

18 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein the elastomer derived from a polyolefin elastomer is an ethylene-octene copolymer, olefin block copolymer, polypropylene-based elastomer, or a combination thereof.

19 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein the reinforcing additive is a polymer thermoplastic fiber comprising polypropylene, polylactic acid, polyamide-6 fibers or combinations thereof.

20 . The feedstock material of claim 19 , wherein the reinforcing additive comprises 15% to 20% by weight of the feedstock material.

21 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein the reinforcing additive is a mineral and wherein the feedstock material of has a flexural modulus greater than about 1500 MPa.

22 . The feedstock material of claim 21 , wherein the mineral is mineral whiskers, mineral salts, or combinations thereof and wherein the reinforcing additive comprises 35% to 50% by weight of the feedstock material.

23 . The feedstock material of claim 21 , and further comprising a polyyinyl alcohol resin.

24 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein upon thermal processing of the feedstock material, the reinforcing additive can be dissolved or weakened in a solvent comprising water.

25 . The feedstock material of claim 16 , wherein upon thermal processing of the feedstock material, the reinforcing additive can be dissolved or weakened in an acidic solution.

26 . The feedstock material of claim 19 , wherein the elastomer has a first flexural modulus and the reinforcing additive has a second flexural modulus that is greater than the first flexural modulus and wherein the reinforcing additive comprises at least 15% by weight of the feedstock material.

27 . A method of building a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
providing a supply of feedstock material to a liquefier of the additive manufacturing system wherein the feedstock material comprises at least 50% by weight an elastomer and up to 50% by weight a reinforcing additive wherein the feedstock material has a flexural modulus greater than about 300 megaPascals; heating the feedstock material in the liquefier and extruding the molten feedstock material through a nozzle provided in an outlet of the liquefier; and depositing the molten feedstock material in a layer by layer manner to build the three-dimensional part.

28 . The method of claim 27 , and further comprising chemically treating the three-dimensional part to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive to decrease the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein chemically treating the three-dimensional part comprises using a water-based solution to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive to decrease the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part.

30 . The method of claim 28 , wherein chemically treating the three-dimensional part comprises using an acidic solution to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive decrease the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part.

31 . The method of claim 27 , and heating the feedstock to a temperature at or above a softening temperature of the feedstock material to thermally degrade or soften the reinforcing additive as it is extruded through the nozzle, such that the flexural modulus of the three-dimensional part is less than the flexural modulus of the feedstock material.

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the elastomer is an elastomeric thermoplastic material derived from polyolefins, polyesters, styrenics, polyurethanes, or combinations thereof.

33 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the reinforcing additive is a polymer fiber comprising polypropylene, polylactic acid, polyamide-6 fibers or combinations thereof.

34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the reinforcing additive comprises mineral whiskers, mineral salts, or combinations thereof and wherein the feedstock material of has a flexural modulus greater than about 1500 MPa.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein after chemically treating the three-dimensional part to dissolve or weaken the reinforcing additive the three-dimensional part has a flexural modulus less than about 1500 MPa.

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Cernohous Jeffrey Jacob
• Pawloski Adam R
• Demuth Benjamin A

Classifications

• C08J2429/04

  Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids · CPC title

• B29K2995/0082

  Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness · CPC title

• B29C48/022

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• C08J2323/08

  Copolymers of ethene (C08J2323/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08J2467/04

  Polyesters derived from hydroxy carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones (C08J2467/06 takes precedence) · CPC title