Compositions for use in fused filament 3d fabrication and method for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017198104-A1
Application number	US-201414297185-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2014
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming a blended material for use as a deposition material in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer is provided. A semi-crystalline material and an amorphous material are physically mixed at an appropriate ratio. The mixed material is then heated to a temperature that is above the melting point of the semi-crystalline material and above the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material to form a blended material. The blended material is then extruded through an extruder die for use in the FFF printer.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method for forming a blended material for use as a deposition material in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, the method comprising:
providing a first amount of a semi-crystalline material and a second amount of an amorphous material; physically mixing the first amount of the semi-crystalline material and the second amount of the amorphous material, wherein the weight ratio of the first amount to the second amount is 50:50 or higher; heating the mixed material to a temperature that is above the melting point of the semi-crystalline material and above the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material to form a blended material; and extruding the blended material through an extruder die for use in the FFF printer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of physically mixing includes mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials such that the weight ratio of the first amount to the second amount is between 60:40 and 80:20, inclusive.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semi-crystalline material includes polyether ether ketone.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyphenylsulfone.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyethersulfone.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyetherimide.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amorphous material includes a polyarylsulfone.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the amorphous material includes at least one of the following materials: polyphenylene oxides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, methyl methacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous material includes at least one of the following materials: polyphenylene oxides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, methyl methacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semi-crystalline material includes at least one of the following materials: polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, and poly(p-phenylene sulfide).

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing polyamide and polyphenylene oxide together.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing polybutylene terephthalate and polycarbonate together.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing poly(p-phenylene sulfide) and polyetherimide together.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a semi-crystalline material includes providing at least two different semi-crystalline materials.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing an amorphous material includes providing at least two different amorphous materials.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a semi-crystalline material and an amorphous material includes providing at least two different semi-crystalline materials and at least two different amorphous materials.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of physically mixing includes mixing the first amount of the semi-crystalline material, the second amount of the amorphous material and a third amount of a filler material whose melting temperature is higher than the semi-crystalline material.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the filler material includes one or more of the following materials: carbon fibers, glass fibers and aramid fibers.

19 . A method for operating a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer comprising:
providing a heat blended material adapted to be fed to a FFF printer, wherein the blended material contains an amorphous material and a semi-crystalline material; feeding the blended material to the FFF printer; heating the blended material to a temperature that is above the melting point of the semi-crystalline material and above the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material; and depositing, by a printing head of the FFF printer, the heated material in a selected pattern in accordance with a mathematical model of a 3D object to form the 3D object.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of providing a blended material includes providing the blended material whose weight ratio of the semi-crystalline material to the amorphous material is 50:50 or higher.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of providing a blended material includes providing the blended material whose weight ratio of the semi-crystalline material to the amorphous material is between 60:40 and 80:20, inclusive.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first semi-crystalline material is polyether ether ketone.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyphenylsulfone.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyethersulfone.

25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the amorphous material includes polyetherimide.

26 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the amorphous material includes a polyarylsulfone.

27 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the amorphous material includes at least one of the following materials: polyphenylene oxides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, methyl methacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

28 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the amorphous material includes at least one of the following materials: polyphenylene oxides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, methyl methacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

29 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the semi-crystalline material includes at least one of the following materials: polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, and poly(p-phenylene sulfide).

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing polyamide and polyphenylene oxide together.

31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing polybutylene terephthalate and polycarbonate together.

32 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the step of physically mixing the semi-crystalline and amorphous materials includes mixing poly(p-phenylene sulfide) and polyetherimide together.

33 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of providing operation of providing a heat blended material includes:
physically mixing a first amount of the semi-crystalline material and a second amount of the amorphous material, wherein the weight ratio of the first amount to the second amount is 50:50 or higher; heating the mixed material to a temperature that is above the melting point of the semi-crystalline material and above the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material to form a blended material; and forming a filament of the blended material by extruding the blended material through a die of an extruder.

34 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of providing a heat blended material includes providi

Assignees

• Arevo Inc

Inventors

• Bheda Hemant
• Patel Kunal

Classifications

• C08J2369/00

  Characterised by the use of polycarbonates; Derivatives of polycarbonates · CPC title

• B29L2031/731

  Filamentary material, i.e. comprised of a single element, e.g. filaments, strands, threads, fibres (cables B29L2031/707) · CPC title

• C08L67/02

  Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds (C08L67/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C48/02

  Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders · CPC title

• C08L81/06

  Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones · CPC title