Support material and applications thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534103-B2
Application number	US-201313871462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 23, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, support materials operable for use in 3D printing systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a support material comprises a wax component comprising at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol and a viscosity modifying agent, wherein the support material is water dispersible. In some embodiments, the wax component comprises a mixture of at least one fatty alcohol and at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A support material for use in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
a wax component comprising at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol;
a viscosity modifying component; and
a phase change agent operable to accelerate the freezing of the support material when the support material is deposited in the three-dimensional printing system,
wherein the phase change agent comprises a urethane wax that freezes or solidifies over a range of 1° C. to 3° C., and
wherein the support material is water dispersible following deposition of the support material in the three-dimensional printing system.

2. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the wax component is present in an amount ranging from about 50 weight percent to about 95 weight percent.

3. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol has a formula CH 3 —(CH 2 ) m —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 —) n —OH, wherein n is an integer from 2 to 100 and m is an integer from 10 to 20.

4. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the wax component comprises a plurality of the ethoxylated fatty alcohols.

5. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the wax component comprises a mixture of at least one fatty alcohol and at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol.

6. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the viscosity modifying component comprises one or more ethoxylated fatty alcohols.

7. The support material of claim 6 , wherein an ethoxylated fatty alcohol of the viscosity modifying component has a formula CH 3 —(CH 2 ) m —(O—CH 2 —CH 2 —) n —OH, wherein n is an integer from 2 to 100 and m is an integer from 10 to 20.

8. The support material of claim 6 , wherein the viscosity modifying component further comprises at least one lactone.

9. The support material of claim 1 having a melting point ranging from about 45° C. to about 70° C.

10. The support material of claim 1 having a melting point ranging from about 50° C. to about 65° C.

11. The support material of claim 1 having a freezing point ranging from about 47° C. to about 52° C.

12. The support material of claim 1 , wherein the support material is non-UV curable.

Assignees

• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Xu Pingyong
• Moussa Khalil
• Stockwell John

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• Y10T428/24802

  Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.] · CPC title

• B41M5/508

  Supports · CPC title

• B29C64/40

  Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof · CPC title

• B29K2891/00

  Use of waxes as mould material · CPC title