Three-dimensional (3d) printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018272561-A1
Application number	US-201515763193-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a three-dimensional printing method example, build material granules are applied. Each of the build material granules includes uncoated, primary ceramic particles agglomerated together by a binder that is soluble in a primary solvent of a fusing agent. The fusing agent is selectively applied on at least a portion of the build material granules. The binder dissolves and a green body including a slurry of the uncoated, ceramic particles is created.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensional (3D) printing method, comprising:
applying build material granules, each of the build material granules including a plurality of uncoated, primary ceramic particles agglomerated together by a binder that is soluble in a primary solvent of a fusing agent; and selectively applying the fusing agent on at least a portion of the build material granules, thereby dissolving the binder and creating a green body including a slurry of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles.

2 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the green body is denser than the applied build material granules.

3 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
heating the green body to a temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 600° C., thereby densifying the green body; and then heating the green body to a temperature that ranges from about 40% to about 90% of a melting point of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles, thereby fusing the uncoated, primary ceramic particles of the green body to form a part.

4 . The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
removing the green body from a fabrication bed or a support member on which it is created; placing the green body in a heating mechanism; and sintering the green body to form a part.

5 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to applying the build material granules, the method further comprises:
dispersing the uncoated, primary ceramic particles in a solution containing the binder; and
spray drying the solution containing the uncoated, primary ceramic particles dispersed therein, thereby creating the build material granules.

6 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the uncoated, primary ceramic particles are metal oxide ceramics, inorganic glasses, carbides, nitrides, borides, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the binder is a sugar, a sugar alcohol, a polymeric sugar, an oligomeric sugar, a polycarboxylic acid, polysulfonic acid, a water soluble polymer containing carboxylic or sulfonic moieties, a polyether alkoxy silane, or a combination thereof.

8 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein:
each of the build material granules has a granule size ranging from about 10 microns to about 200 microns; and
each of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles has a particle size ranging from about 0.01 microns to about 3 microns.

9 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the binder is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % based on a wt % of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles.

10 . The method as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the build material granules is substantially spherical.

11 . A three-dimensional (3D) printing system, comprising:
a supply of build material granules, each of the build material granules including a plurality of uncoated, primary ceramic particles agglomerated together by a binder that is soluble in a primary solvent of a fusing agent; a build material distributor; a supply of the fusing agent; an ink applicator for selectively dispensing the fusing agent; a controller; and a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions to cause the controller to:
utilize the build material distributor to dispense the build material granules; and
utilize the inkjet applicator to selectively dispense the fusing agent to form a green body from at least some of the build material granules.

12 . The system as defined in clam 11 wherein:
the uncoated, primary ceramic particles are metal oxide ceramics, inorganic glasses, carbides, nitrides, borides, or a combination thereof; and the binder is a sugar, a sugar alcohol, a polymeric sugar, an oligomeric sugar, a polysulfonic acid, a water soluble polymer containing carboxylic or sulfonic moieties, a polycarboxylic acid, a polyether alkoxy silane, or a combination thereof.

13 . The system as defined in claim 11 wherein each of the build material granules has a granule size ranging from about 10 microns to about 200 microns in size.

14 . The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the binder is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % based on a wt % of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles.

15 . The system as defined in claim 11 wherein each of the uncoated, primary ceramic particles has a particle size ranging from 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Kasperchik Vladek
• Monroe Michael G
• Kornilovich Pavel
• Champion David A

Classifications

• C04B35/636

  Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof · CPC title

• B28B1/001 Primary

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C04B35/638

  Removal thereof · CPC title

• C04B35/6316

  Binders based on silicon compounds · CPC title