Method for solid freeform fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808993-B2
Application number	US-201514637070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, processes, and systems for the manufacture of three-dimensional articles made of polymers using 3D printing. A layer of prepolymer is deposited on a build plate to form a powder bed. The deposited powder bed is heated to about 50° C. to about 170° C. Then, a solution of activating agent is printed on the powder bed in a predetermined pattern, and a stimulus is applied converting the prepolymer to the final polymer. After a predetermined period of time, sequential layers are printed to provide the three-dimensional article. The three-dimensional object can be cured to produce the three-dimensional article composed of the final polymers.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, the method comprising:
a. depositing a powder of prepolymer on a build plate to form a powder bed;
b. printing a solution of an activating agent at selected locations on the powder bed;
c. exposing the printed solution to a stimulus to form a polymer layer of the three-dimensional article; and
d. repeating steps (a)-(c) to manufacture remainder of the three-dimensional article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prepolymer is poly(amic acid), polysulfide, ketalized version of a polyketone, or a reduced form a polyketone.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the poly(amic acid) comprises an aromatic dianhydride and an aromatic diamine.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the aromatic dianhydride and the aromatic diamine are in about 1:1 molar ratio.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the aromatic dianhydride is selected from the group consisting of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), biphenyl dianhydride (BPDA), benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), and combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein diamine is p-phenylenediamine (PDA), 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA), or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step b further comprises heating the powder bed to about 50° C. to about 170° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating agent is acetic anhydride, pyridine, triethylamine, N-methyl-pyrrolidine, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein stimulus comprises heat, light, oxidation, acid catalysis, base catalysis, transition metal catalysis, or combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps are repeated after about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of curing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein curing is done by chemical curing or thermal curing.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the thermal curing is carried out at about 300° C. or above.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/165

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B29K2079/08

  PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof · CPC title