Methods for solid freeform fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695280-B2
Application number	US-201614991876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, processes, and systems for the manufacture of three-dimensional articles of polymer materials using 3D printing. A syringe or an inkjet print head prints a solution of prepolymer onto a build plate. The printed prepolymer is exposed to a stimulus whereby the prepolymer is converted to the polymer. After a predetermined time, sequential layers are printed to provide the three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional article can be cured to produce the 3D article made from the final polymer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for solubility switching of a polymer, the method comprising coupling a polymer to a solubility switching moiety to provide a polymer conjugate, and exposing the polymer conjugate to light to provide the polymer wherein the polymer is insoluble in a solvent and the polymer conjugate is soluble in the solvent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a polyketone.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polyketone is polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) polyetheretheretherketone (PEEEK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetheretherketone (PEKEKK), or polyetherketoneketoneketone (PEKKK).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a ketone or an aldehyde functional group.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is an aromatic solvent or a terpene.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the solvent is benzene, toluene, α-pinene, p-cymene, carvone, limonene, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein light is ultraviolet, infrared, visible, or combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the solubility switching moiety is an alcohol, a diol, a thiol, or a dithiol, and the polymer conjugate is a ketal, a thioketal, a dithioketal, or a hemiketal of the polymer.

Assignees

• Boydston Andrew J
• Ganter Mark A
• Storti Duane
• Goetz Adam Edward
• Yurtoglu Mete
• Larsen Michael Byrnes
• Peterson Gregory Isaac
• Zhang Di
• Ricoh Co Ltd
• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Boydston Andrew J
• Ganter Mark A
• Storti Duane
• Goetz Adam Edward
• Yurtoglu Mete
• Larsen Michael Byrnes
• Peterson Gregory Isaac
• Zhang Di

Classifications

• C08G2650/40

  containing ketone groups, e.g. polyarylethylketones, PEEK or PEK · CPC title

• C08G65/40

  from phenols (I) and other compounds (II), e.g. OH-Ar-OH + X-Ar-X, where X is halogen atom, i.e. leaving group · CPC title

• C08G65/48 Primary

  Polymers modified by chemical after-treatment · CPC title

• C09D171/00

  Coating compositions based on polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain (based on polyacetals C09D159/00; based on epoxy resins C09D163/00; based on polythioether-ethers C09D181/02; based on polyethersulfones C09D181/06); Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title