3D printing ink containing a cyclopolymerizable monomer
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsPingyong Xu, John Fong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one aspect, inks for use with a three-dimensional (3D) printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink described herein comprise 10-70 wt. % or 20-40 wt. % of a cyclopolymerizable monomer, based on the total weight of the ink. The cyclopolymerizable monomer comprises an acrylate moiety and an ethenyl or ethynyl moiety, and the α-carbon of the acrylate moiety and the α-carbon of the ethenyl or ethynyl moiety may have a 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, or 1,8-relationship. Additionally, an ink described herein can have a viscosity of 1600 centipoise (cP) or less at 30° C., or of 500 cP or less at 30° C. and can be used to print a desired 3D article having mechanical properties similar to those of articles formed from thermoplastic materials.
Claims21
A method of printing a three-dimensional article comprising:
- selectively depositing layers of an ink in a fluid state onto a substrate to form the three-dimensional article;
- partially curing the ink prior to completion of deposition of all layers of the ink;
- and
- post-curing the ink following completion of deposition of all layers of the ink,
- wherein the ink comprises 10-70 wt. % cyclopolymerizable monomer, based on the total weight of the ink,
- wherein the cyclopolymerizable monomer comprises an acrylate moiety and an ethenyl or ethynyl moiety, and
- wherein the α-carbon of the acrylate moiety and the α-carbon of the ethenyl or ethynyl moiety have a 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, or 1,8-relationship;
- wherein partially curing the ink primarily comprises polymerizing the acrylate-containing species of the ink via acrylate polymerization;
- and
- wherein post-curing the ink primarily comprises cyclopolymerizing the acrylate moiety and the ethenyl or ethynyl moiety of the cyclopolymerizable monomer, and wherein partially curing and post-curing each comprise photocuring.
A method of printing a three-dimensional article comprising:
- retaining an ink in a fluid state in a container;
- selectively applying energy to the ink in the container to solidify at least a portion of a first fluid layer of the ink, thereby forming a first solidified layer that defines a first cross-section of the article;
- raising or lowering the first solidified layer to provide a second fluid layer of the ink at a surface of the fluid ink in the container;
- selectively applying energy to the ink in the container to solidify at least a portion of the second fluid layer of the ink, thereby forming a second solidified layer that defines a second cross-section of the article, the first cross-section and the second cross-section being bonded to one another in a z-direction;
- and
- post-curing the three-dimensional article following formation of the three-dimensional article,
- wherein selectively applying energy to the ink in the container comprises partially curing the ink;
- wherein the ink comprises 10-70 wt. % cyclopolymerizable monomer, based on the total weight of the ink;
- wherein the cyclopolymerizable monomer comprises an acrylate moiety and an ethenyl or ethynyl moiety;
- and
- wherein the α-carbon of the acrylate moiety and the α-carbon of the ethenyl or ethynyl moiety have a 1,5-, 1,6-, 1,7-, or 1,8-relationship;
- wherein partially curing the ink primarily comprises polymerizing the acrylate-containing species of the ink via acrylate polymerization;
- and
- wherein post-curing the ink primarily comprises cyclopolymerizing the acrylate moiety and the ethenyl or ethynyl moiety of the cyclopolymerizable monomer, and wherein partially curing and post-curing each comprise photocuring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.