Opaque inks and applications thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657186-B2
Application number	US-201213596670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2012
Priority date	Sep 13, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, inks for use with a three dimensional printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink for use in a three dimensional printing system comprises about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An ink for use in a three dimensional printing system comprising:
about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component; and
about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component,

wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component; and
wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C.

2. The ink of claim 1 further comprising an oil.

3. The ink of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises about 1-10 weight % of the ink.

4. The ink of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises a plant oil.

5. The ink of claim 1 further comprising at least one dye.

6. The ink of claim 1 further comprising one or more additives selected from the group consisting of photoinitiators, inhibitors, stabilizing agents, sensitizers, and combinations thereof.

7. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the ink is not pigmented.

8. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the ink does not comprise an inorganic pigment.

9. The ink of claim 7 , wherein the ink is opaque at about 25° C. when cured.

10. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable component comprises one or more species of (meth)acrylates.

11. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the non-reactive wax component comprises an SPC wax.

12. A three dimensionally printed dental model comprising an ink, the ink comprising about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component, wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C., and wherein the ink is not pigmented.

13. A method of printing a three dimensional article comprising:
selectively depositing layers of a fluid ink to form the three dimensional article on a substrate, the ink comprising about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component, and wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the layers of the ink are deposited according to an image of the three dimensional article in a computer readable format.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising supporting at least one of the layers of the ink with a support material.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising curing the layers of ink.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising heating the three dimensional article to a temperature greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising cooling the three dimensional article to about 25° C.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein cooling is carried out within about 5 minutes or less.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein cooling comprises at least partially immersing the three dimensional article in a cooled liquid at a temperature between about −90° C. and about 25° C. or placing the three dimensional article in a refrigerator.

Assignees

• Xu Pingyong
• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Xu Pingyong

Classifications

• C09D11/101 Primary

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

• C09D11/34

  Hot-melt inks · CPC title

• A61C13/34

  Making or working of models, e.g. preliminary castings, trial dentures; Dowel pins [4] · CPC title

• A61C13/09

  {Composite teeth, e.g. front and back section (A61C13/0835, A61C13/1023 take precedence)}; Multilayer teeth · CPC title

• A61C13/0019

  using three dimensional printing · CPC title