Materials containing fluoropolymers for additive manufacturing applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017174932-A1
Application number	US-201615385345-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Part materials for additive manufacturing applications include materials with a fluoropolymer processing aid (material-FP). These materials include one or more thermoplastic polymers and one or more fluoropolymers as a processing aid. The material-FP is used to build parts with additive manufacturing systems. Parts built using material-FP have improved physical properties including improved strength in the z-direction of the parts. Composite systems such as reinforced filaments with the material-FP also have a higher density.

First claim

1 . A feedstock for making a three dimensional part using an additive manufacturing technique, the feedstock comprising one or more thermoplastic polymer and a processing aid comprising at least one fluorinated polymer, wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer in the material is at least about 0.01% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer wherein the feedstock is configured to be loaded into an additive manufacturing system and formed into the part.

2 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the fluorinated polymer is selected from polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidenedifluoride-co-Hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA), ethylene-tretrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), amorphous fluoropolymers (AF), their copolymers, or a combination thereof.

3 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer is between about 0.01% by weight and about 5% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer.

4 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer is between about 0.025% by weight and about 1% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer.

5 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer is between about 0.1% by weight and about 0.5% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer.

6 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from ABS, polycarbonate (PC), polyetherimide (PEI), polyamides, polyesters, polyether ketones, and combinations thereof.

7 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the material further comprises one or more additives.

8 . The feedstock of claim 1 wherein the material is formed into a suitable media selected from filament, reinforced filaments, powders, micronized powders and other particulates.

9 . The feedstcok of claim 1 wherein the material is formed into a filament and further comprises fibers.

10 . A method of printing a part comprising:
providing a consumable feedstock to an additive manufacturing system comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a fluorinated polymer, wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer in the material is at least about 0.01% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer; and printing the part with the consumable feedstock.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein printing the part comprises printing the part in a layer by layer manner using the consumable material.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the fluorinated polymer is selected from polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidenedifluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA), ethylene-tretrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), amorphous fluoropolymers (AF), their copolymers, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer is less than about 5% by weight of the thermoplastic polymer.

14 . The method of claim 10 wherein the z-strength of the material-FP is at least about 5% more than the z-strength of the part material without the fluorinated polymer.

15 . The method of claim 10 wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from ABS, polycarbonate (PC), polyetherimide (PEI), polyamides, polyesters, polyether ketones, and combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 10 wherein the consumable materials is in a suitable media selected from a filament, a reinforced filament, powders, particulates and combinations thereof.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the reinforced filament further comprises fibers.

18 . A consumable assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, the assembly comprising material-FP, wherein the material-FP comprises a thermoplastic polymer and a fluoropolymer.

19 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the fluorinated polymer is selected from polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF), fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA), ethylene-tretrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), amorphous fluoropolymers (AF), their copolymers, or a combination thereof.

20 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the amount of the fluorinated polymer is less than about 5% by weight of the polymeric blend.

21 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from ABS, polycarbonate (PC), polyetherimide (PEI) or combinations thereof.

22 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the material-FP further comprises one or more additives.

23 . The assembly of claim 18 wherein the material-FP is formed into a suitable media selected from filament, reinforced filaments, powders, micronized powders and other particulates.

24 . The assembly of claim 23 wherein the reinforced filaments comprise carbon fibers, glass fibers and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Granlund Neil R
• Pawloski Adam R
• Van Gorden Garrett S
• Rodgers Luke M B
• Jaker Vittorio L

Classifications

• B29K2105/06

  containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts · CPC title

• B29K2027/12

  containing fluorine · CPC title

• C08L55/02

  ABS [Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene] polymers · CPC title

• G03G15/224

  Machines for forming tactile or three dimensional images by electrographic means, e.g. braille, 3d printing · CPC title

• B29K2055/02

  ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers · CPC title