Flexible feedstock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019389090-A1
Application number	US-201916453133-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2019
Priority date	Jun 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 26, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible 3D printing feedstock material is disclosed. The flexible 3D printing feedstock material includes 45-80 vol % of a powder having at least one of a metal powder and a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component. Methods of forming the flexible 3D printing feedstock material by melt mixing the components are disclosed. Methods of producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the 3D printing feedstock material are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
45-80 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component.

2 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the soluble flexibilizer comprises a petrolatum.

3 . The material of claim 2 , having 15-25 vol % of the petrolatum.

4 . The material of claim 1 , wherein particles of the metal powder have a median size of less than 50 μm.

5 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the compatibilizer comprises stearic acid.

6 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the non-soluble binder component comprises linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

7 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the non-soluble binder component comprises at least one of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).

8 . The material of claim 1 , further comprising a wax.

9 . The material of claim 8 , wherein the wax comprises at least one of paraffin wax, castor wax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, and bees wax.

10 . The material of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid hydrocarbon.

11 . The material of claim 10 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon comprises at least one of cyclohexane, mineral oil, and a polyalphaolephin.

12 . The material of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of ethylene vinyl acetate and a polyolefin copolymer.

13 . The material of claim 1 , having 60-75 vol % of the metal powder, the material exhibiting a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity.

14 . The material of claim 13 , exhibiting a flexural strain of greater than 10% while substantially maintaining structural integrity.

15 . The material of claim 14 , exhibiting a flexural strain of greater than 25% while substantially maintaining structural integrity.

16 . A method of producing a 3D printed part, the method comprising operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the material of claim 1 to print the 3D printed part.

17 . A method of forming a flexible 3D printing feedstock material, the method comprising melt mixing components including 45-80 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-25 vol % petrolatum as a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein melt mixing the components is performed under vacuum.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein melt mixing the components comprises:
melting the non-soluble binder component; combining the petrolatum and the melted non-soluble binder component to form a first premixture; and combining the metal powder and the compatibilizer with the first premixture to form a melt mixture.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising combining the metal powder and the compatibilizer to form a second premixture and combining the first premixture and the second premixture to form the melt mixture.

21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming the material into a filament by extrusion.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer with the filament to print the 3D printed part.

23 . A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
45-75 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 5-25 vol % of a non-soluble binder, 5-20 vol % of a soluble polymeric binder, and 5-25 vol % of a soluble tackifier.

24 . The material of claim 23 , comprising:
56-66 vol % of the metal powder, 10-14 vol % LLDPE, 10-14 vol % ethylene-vinyl acetate, 12-18 vol % low molecular weight hydrocarbon resin tackifier, and 0-2% of the compatibilizer.

25 . A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising more than 45 vol % of a metal powder, the material being solvent debindable, and capable of flexing around a radius of 5 cm at 25° C. while substantially maintaining structural integrity.

26 . A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
45-80 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component.

27 . The material of claim 26 , wherein the soluble flexibilizer comprises a petrolatum.

28 . The material of claim 27 , having 15-25 vol % of the petrolatum.

29 . The material of claim 26 , wherein particles of the ceramic powder have a median size of less than 50 μm.

30 . The material of claim 26 , wherein the compatibilizer comprises stearic acid.

31 . The material of claim 26 , wherein the non-soluble binder component comprises linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

32 . The material of claim 26 , wherein the non-soluble binder component comprises at least one of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).

33 . The material of claim 26 , further comprising a wax.

34 . The material of claim 33 , wherein the wax comprises at least one of paraffin wax, castor wax, carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, and bees wax.

35 . The material of claim 26 , further comprising a liquid hydrocarbon.

36 . The material of claim 35 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon comprises at least one of cyclohexane, mineral oil, and a polyalphaolephin.

37 . The material of claim 26 , further comprising at least one of ethylene vinyl acetate and a polyolefin copolymer.

38 . A method of producing a 3D printed part, the method comprising operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the material of claim 26 to print the 3D printed part.

39 . A method of forming a flexible 3D printing feedstock material, the method comprising melt mixing components including 45-80 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-25 vol % petrolatum as a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein melt mixing the components is performed under vacuum.

41 . The method of claim 39 , wherein melt mixing the components comprises:
melting the non-soluble binder component; combining the petrolatum and the melted non-soluble binder component to form a first premixture; and combining the ceramic powder and the compatibilizer with the first premixture to form a melt mixture.

42 . The method of claim 41 , further comprising combining the ceramic powder and the compatibilizer to form a second premixture and combining the first premixture and the second premixture to form the melt mixture.

43 . The method of claim 39 , further comprising forming the material into a filament by extrusion.

44 . The method of claim 43 , further comprising producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer with the filament to print the 3D printed part.

45 . A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
45-75 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 5-25 vol % of a non-soluble binder, 5-20 vol % of a soluble polymeric binder, and 5-25 vol % of a soluble ta

Assignees

• Markforged Inc

Inventors

• Roy-Mayhew Joseph
• Farrell Zachary

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• C04B2235/6026

  Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping · CPC title

• C04B2235/96

  Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance · CPC title

• B22F2998/00

  Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy · CPC title