Silicone formulations for 3d printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019100626-A1
Application number	US-201715721528-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a silicone-based ink for additive manufacturing includes a vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer, a hydrophobic reinforcing filler, and a rheology modifying additive. In another embodiment, a method of additive manufacturing with silicone-based ink includes adding a mixture that includes a vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer, a hydrophobic reinforcing filler, and a rheology modifying additive to a cartridge for additive manufacturing, extruding the mixture through the cartridge to form a structure, and curing the mixture to at least a predefined extent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A silicone-based ink for additive manufacturing, the ink comprising:
a vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer; a hydrophobic reinforcing filler; and a rheology modifying additive.

2 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a curing agent.

3 . The ink as recited in claim 2 , further comprising an effective amount of an inhibitor for controlling a rate of curing by the curing agent.

4 . The ink as recited in claim 2 , wherein the curing agent induces curing in response to catalyst-mediated hydrosilylation chemistry.

5 . The ink as recited in claim 2 , wherein the curing agent induces curing in response to ultraviolet radiation.

6 . The ink as recited in claim 2 , wherein the curing agent induces curing in response to free radical chemistry.

7 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, a crosslinking agent.

8 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer has a viscosity in a range of about 500 centistoke and about 50,000 centistoke.

9 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic reinforcing filler is a treated silica.

10 . The ink as recited in claim 9 , wherein the treated silica has a surface area in a range of about 50 m 2 /g and about 250 m 2 /g.

11 . The ink as recited in claim 9 , wherein the treated silica is hexamethyldisilazane-treated silica.

12 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rheology modifying additive is a silicone polyether.

13 . The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ink is a pseudoplastic, non-Newtonian fluid.

14 . A method of additive manufacturing with silicone-based ink, the method comprising:
adding a mixture to a cartridge for additive manufacturing, the mixture comprising a vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer, a hydrophobic reinforcing filler, and a rheology modifying additive; extruding the mixture through the cartridge to form a structure; and curing the mixture to at least a predefined extent.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising adding to the mixture in the cartridge, a curing agent and a crosslinking agent.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising adding to the mixture, in the cartridge, an effective amount of an inhibitor for controlling a rate of curing by the curing agent.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the formed structure is a three-dimensional structure.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the additive manufacturing is direct ink writing.

19 . A product of additive manufacturing with a silicone-based ink, the product comprising:
a vinyl-terminated siloxane macromer, a hydrophobic reinforcing filler, a rheology modifying additive, a curing agent, an inhibitor of the curing agent, and a crosslinking agent.

20 . A product of claim 19 , wherein the product is a silicone-based three-dimensional structure.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Durban Matt
• Duoss Eric
• Lenhardt Jeremy
• Wilson Thomas S

Classifications

• C08G77/12

  containing silicon bound to hydrogen · CPC title

• C08K5/5425

  containing at least one C=C bond · CPC title

• C08G77/442 Primary

  containing vinyl polymer sequences · CPC title

• C09D11/102

  containing macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions other than those only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds · CPC title

• C09D11/101

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title