Three-dimensional (3d) printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018354191-A1
Application number	US-201515569599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) printing method includes applying a build material composition having a polymer particle and a radiation absorbing additive mixed with the polymer particle, the radiation absorbing additive being selected from the group consisting of inorganic near-infrared absorbers, organic near-infrared absorbers, and combinations thereof. The build material composition is preheated to a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer particle by exposing the build material composition to radiation, the radiation absorbing additive increasing radiation absorption and accelerating the pre-heating of the build material composition. A fusing agent is selectively applied on at least a portion of the build material composition. The method further includes exposing the build material composition to radiation, whereby at least the polymer particle in the at least the portion of the build material composition in contact with the fusing agent at least partially fuses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A three-dimensional (3D) printing method, comprising:
applying a build material composition, including:
a polymer particle; and
a radiation absorbing additive mixed with the polymer particle, the radiation absorbing additive being selected from the group consisting of inorganic near-infrared absorbers, organic near-infrared absorbers, and combinations thereof;
pre-heating the build material composition to a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer particle by exposing the build material composition to radiation, the radiation absorbing additive increasing radiation absorption and accelerating the pre-heating of the build material composition; selectively applying a fusing agent on at least a portion of the build material composition; and exposing the build material composition to radiation, whereby at least the polymer particle in the at least the portion of the build material composition in contact with the fusing agent at least partially fuses.

2 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising forming the build material composition by mixing from greater than 0 wt % to about 4 wt % of the radiation absorbing additive with from about 96 wt % to less than 100 wt % of the polymer particle.

3 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising any of:
selecting the inorganic near-infrared absorber from the group consisting of copper doped metal oxides, copper phosphates, metal-copper(II) pyrophosphates, di-cation pyrophosphates, mixed metal iron diphosphates, magnesium copper silicate, copper hydroxide phosphate, transparent metal oxides, semiconductor nanocrystals, and combinations thereof; or selecting the organic near-infrared absorber selected from the group consisting of cyanines, phthalocyanines, tetraaryldiamines, triarylamines, metal dithiolenes, rare earth complexes, nonconjugated polymers, conjugated quinoid type polymers, conjugated dye-containing polymers, donor-acceptor conjugated polymers, and combinations thereof.

4 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising selecting the polymer particle and the radiation absorbing additive such that a particle size of each of the polymer particle and the radiation absorbing additive ranges from about 1 μm to about 100 μm.

5 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 1 wherein the exposing forms a layer of a 3D object and wherein the method further comprises:
applying a layer of the build material composition to the layer of the 3D object;
pre-heating the layer of the build material composition to a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer particle by exposing the layer of the build material composition to radiation, the radiation absorbing additive increasing radiation absorption and accelerating the pre-heating of the layer of the build material composition;
selectively applying the fusing agent on at least a portion of the layer of the build material composition; and
exposing the layer of the build material composition to radiation, whereby at least the polymer particle in the at least the portion of the layer of the build material composition in contact with the fusing agent at least partially fuses to form a second layer of the 3D object.

6 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 1 wherein the pre-heating of the build material composition is up to 10 times faster than pre-heating of the polymer particle without the radiation absorbing additive.

7 . A three-dimensional (3D) printing method, comprising:
forming a build material composition by:
loading a polymer particle into a fabrication bed; and
applying a radiation absorbing additive to the polymer particle, the radiation absorbing additive to absorb radiation having wavelengths ranging from 700 nm to 10 μm and to absorb less than 0.01% of radiation having wavelengths below 700 nm;
pre-heating the build material composition to a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer particle by exposing the build material composition to radiation, the radiation absorbing additive increasing radiation absorption and accelerating the pre-heating of the build material composition; selectively applying a fusing agent on at least a portion of the build material composition; and exposing the build material composition to radiation, whereby at least the polymer particle in the at least the portion of the build material composition in contact with the fusing agent at least partially fuses.

8 . The three-dimensional (3D) printing method as defined in claim 7 , further comprising selecting the radiation absorbing additive from:
an inorganic near-infrared absorber selected from the group consisting of copper doped metal oxides, copper phosphates, metal-copper(II) pyrophosphates, di-cation pyrophosphates, mixed metal iron diphosphates, magnesium copper silicate, copper hydroxide phosphate, transparent metal oxides, semiconductor nanocrystals, and combinations thereof; an organic near-infrared absorber selected from the group consisting of cyanines, phthalocyanines, tetraaryldiamines, triarylamines, metal dithiolenes, rare earth complexes, nonconjugated polymers, conjugated quinoid type polymers, conjugated dye-containing polymers, donor-acceptor conjugated polymers, and combinations thereof; and combinations of the inorganic near-infrared absorber and the organic near-infrared absorber.

9 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 7 wherein the applying of the radiation absorbing additive to the polymer particle includes adding the radiation absorbing additive in an amount ranging from greater than 0 wt % to about 4 wt % of a total weight percent of the build material composition.

10 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 7 , further comprising selecting the polymer particle and the radiation absorbing additive such that a particle size of each of the polymer particle and the radiation absorbing additive ranges from about 1 μm to about 100 μm.

11 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 7 wherein the applying of the radiation absorbing additive to the polymer particle includes:
dissolving the radiation absorbing additive in a liquid; and
applying the liquid to the polymer particle.

12 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 7 wherein the exposing forms a layer of a 3D object and wherein the method further comprises:
forming a second layer of the build material composition by:
loading a second layer of the polymer particle onto the layer of the 3D object; and
applying the radiation absorbing additive to the second layer of the polymer particle;

pre-heating the second layer of the build material composition to a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer particle by exposing the second layer of the build material composition to radiation, the radiation absorbing additive increasing radiation absorption and accelerating the pre-heating of the second layer of the build material composition;
selectively applying the fusing agent on at least a portion of the second layer of the build material composition; and
exposing the second layer of the build material composition to radiation, whereby at least the polymer particle in the at least the portion of the second layer of the build material composition in contact with the fusing agent at least partially fuses to form a second layer of the 3D object.

13 . The 3D printing method as defined in claim 7 wherein the pre-heating of the build material composition is at least 2 times faster than pre-heating of the polymer particle without the radiation absorbing additive.

14 . A three-dimens

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Nauka Krzysztof
• Tom Howard S
• Erickson Kristopher J
• Zhao Lihua
• Ganapathiappan Sivapackia

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/218

  Rollers · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title