Low density syntactic foams via material extrusion additive manufacturing
AssigneeUniversity of Tennessee Research Foundation
InventorsBrett Gibson Compton, Samantha Maness, Robert Pack, Madeline Wimmer
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Abstract
An ink formulation for additive manufacturing of low density syntactic foams is described. The ink formulation can include a thermoset resin, a curing agent suitable for use with the thermoset resin, a plurality of hollow spheres, such as glass microballoons, one or more solvents, and one or more non-hollow, viscosity modifying filler. Also described are a method of preparing the ink formulation, a method of preparing three-dimensional objects comprising low density syntactic foams, and the three-dimensional objects prepared thereby.
Claims15
A method of preparing a three-dimensional syntactic foam object, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a curable composition comprising a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, a plurality of hollow spheres, a solvent, and a non-hollow filler, wherein the curable composition comprises:
- (i) about 5 weight percent (wt %) to about 25 wt % of the thermoset resin, (ii) about 0.1 wt % to about 6 wt% of the curing agent, (iii) about 20 wt % to about 40 wt % of the hollow spheres, (iv) about 30 wt % to about 55 wt % of the solvent, and (v) about 0.1 wt % to about 25 wt % of the non-hollow filler;
- (b) depositing a first layer of the curable composition;
- (c) depositing one or more additional layers of the curable composition on the first layer sequentially, thereby forming a three-dimensional curable object;
- and
- (d) curing the three-dimensional curable object, thereby providing the three-dimensional syntactic foam object.
A method of preparing a three-dimensional syntactic foam object, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a curable composition comprising a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, a plurality of hollow spheres, a solvent, and a non-hollow filler;
- (b) depositing a first layer of the curable composition;
- (c) depositing one or more additional layers of the curable composition on the first layer sequentially, thereby forming a three-dimensional curable object;
- (d) curing the three-dimensional curable object, thereby providing the three-dimensional syntactic foam object;
- and
- (e) pyrolyzing the three-dimensional syntactic foam object at a second temperature for a second period of time, wherein the second temperature is about 600° C. to about 1000° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.