Surface treated additive manufacturing printhead nozzles and methods for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021069778-A1
Application number	US-202017017447-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Nozzles for additive manufacturing and methods for improving wettability of the nozzles are disclosed. The nozzle may include a body having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface may define an inner volume of the nozzle, and may have a water contact angle of greater than 1° and less than about 90°. The method may include subjecting the nozzle to a surface treatment. The surface treatment may include plasma treating a surface of the nozzle such that free radicals, polar functional groups, or a combination thereof are formed at the surface of the nozzle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for improving wettability of a nozzle for an additive manufacturing device, the method comprising subjecting the nozzle to a surface treatment, wherein the surface treatment comprises plasma treating a surface of the nozzle, wherein the plasma treatment at least partially forms free radicals, polar functional groups, or combinations thereof at the surface of the nozzle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment comprises plasma treating an inner surface of the nozzle.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein plasma treating the inner surface of the nozzle comprises orienting the nozzle at an off-axis orientation relative to a plasma of the plasma treatment.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein orienting the nozzle at the off-axis orientation comprises disposing the nozzle on a fixture configured to maintain the nozzle at the off-axis orientation.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein plasma treating the inner surface of the nozzle further comprises rotating the nozzle about a vertical axis thereof.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the fixture protects an end surface of the nozzle from the plasma treatment.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising masking an end surface of the nozzle before subjecting the nozzle to the surface treatment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment comprises plasma treating the nozzle in a plasma oven.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment comprises plasma treating an inner surface of the nozzle and an end surface of the nozzle.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising removing a portion of the nozzle disposed adjacent the end surface of the nozzle.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the portion of the nozzle disposed adjacent the end surface of the nozzle comprises one or more of milling, filing, sanding, abrading, or combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment comprises plasma treating the surface of the nozzle for a period of time of from about 1 min to about 60 min.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is fabricated from graphite.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the nozzle to a post-treatment process to preserve the surface treatment of the nozzle, wherein the post-treatment process comprises contacting the surface of the nozzle with an intermediate sacrificial material.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the post-treatment process further comprises cooling the nozzle with the intermediate sacrificial material contacting the surface of the nozzle.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise depositing a coating on the surface of the nozzle.

17 . A nozzle for additive manufacturing, comprising a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an inner volume of the nozzle, and wherein the inner surface of the nozzle comprises a water contact angle of greater than 1° and less than about 90°.

18 . A nozzle for additive manufacturing, comprising a body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an inner volume of the nozzle, and wherein the inner surface of the nozzle is subjected to a surface treatment such that the inner surface comprises increased free radicals and/or polar functional groups as compared to an untreated surface of the nozzle.

19 . The nozzle of claim 18 , wherein a coating is not disposed on the inner surface and the outer surface of the nozzle.

20 . The nozzle of claim 18 , further comprising an intermediate sacrificial material disposed in the inner volume of the nozzle.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Redding Gary D
• Dingman Lyle G
• Cellura Mark A
• Gulvin Peter M
• Chungbin Christopher T
• Liu Chu-Heng

Classifications

• C04B41/88

  Metals · CPC title

• C04B41/459

  Temporary coatings or impregnations (C04B40/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C04B41/4586

  Non-chemical aspects relating to the substrate being coated or impregnated · CPC title

• C04B41/0054

  Plasma-treatment, e.g. with gas-discharge plasma · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title