# US 11,897,195 B2 · Methodologies to rapidly cure and coat parts produced by additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,195 B2 - Document ID: US11897195B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/989,470 - Filed: 2022-11-17 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-09 - Assignees: Azul 3D, Inc. - Applicants: Azul 3D, Inc. - Inventors: David Alan Walker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897195B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B29C 71/0009: {using liquids, e.g. solvents, swelling agents (spectacle cases, e.g. for cleaning contact lenses A45C11/04; disinfecting or sterilising contact lenses A61L12/00, using liquid substances A61L2/20; cleaning involving the use of liquid in general B08B3/00; for hydrating contact lenses B29D11/00067)} - B29C 71/02: Thermal after-treatment {(B29C71/0063 and B29C71/0072 take precedence)} - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B29C 64/124: using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified - B29C 2071/0018: {Absorbing ingredients, e.g. drugs, flavourings, UV screeners, embedded in the articles} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING ## Abstract A process to cure and/or modify the surface of a three dimensional (3D) printed part comprising the steps of immersing a three dimensional (3D) printed part, containing reactive moieties, into a liquid bath at an elevated temperature to effect polymerization of the reactive moieties of the 3D printed part to provide a cured 3D printed part is described. The liquid bath can further contain reactive molecules that can react with the surface of the 3D printed part to provide a coating which alters the surface characteristics of the 3D printed part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process to modify a three dimensional printed part comprising: providing a three dimensional printed part containing reactive moeities; providing a liquid bath, the liquid bath comprising one or more reactive molecule(s) dispersed within the liquid bath; immersing the three dimensional printed part containing reactive moieties into the liquid bath; causing the one or more reactive molecule(s) dispersed within the liquid bath to react with the reactive moeities within the three dimensional printed part, said reaction covalently bonding at least some of the one or more reactive molecule(s) to a surface of the three dimensional printed part to form a surface coating on the three dimensional printed part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein providing a liquid bath further comprises providing a liquid bath free of radicals and/or initiator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein providing the three dimensional printed part containing reactive moeities further comprises providing a three dimensional part containing reactive moieties having residual initiator disposed within the bulk of and/or on the surface of the three dimensional printed part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3, wherein causing the one or more reactive molecule(s) dispersed in the liquid bath to react with the reactive moeities within the three dimensional printed part occurs as a result of immersing the three dimensional part containing reactive moeities having residual initiator disposed within the bulk of and/or on the surface of the three dimensional printed part into the liquid bath. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 wherein residual initiator further comprises one or more thermal initiator(s) and/or one or more photoinitiator(s). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the surface coating is a self-assembled monolayer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6 wherein the self-assembled monolayer has a uniform layer thickness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the surface coating has a functionalization. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8 wherein the functionalization is selected from the group consisting of: increased hydrophilicity, increased hydrophobicity, increased chemical resistance, increased slipperiness, increased tackiness, increased conductivity, increased biocompatibility, increased compatibility with a secondary coating material, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the surface coating forms on a portion of the three dimensional printed part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the surface coating forms on the entirety of the surface of the three dimensional printed part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the one or more reactive molecule(s) further comprises a reactive functional group in conjugation with a non-reactive functional group, the reactive functional group is non-reactive when initiator is not present, and the non-reactive functional group is selected to provide a desired surface modification and/or functionalization. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the reactive functional group is selected from the list consisting of: acrylates, methacrylates, vinyls, olefins, thiols, silanes, amines, methoxysilanes, ethoxysilanes, sulfides, and esters. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the non-reactive functional group further comprises silicon. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the non-reactive functional group further comprises fluorine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the non-reactive functional group further comprises a chemical promoter that facilitates adhesion of a secondary coating material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the non-reactive functional group is conductive or semi-conductive. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the one or more reactive molecule(s) is/are selected from the list consisting of: monomethacryloxypropyl terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane), monomethacryloxypropyl functional tris[poly(dimethylsiloxane)], and combinations thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the one or more reactive molecules(s) comprises monomethacryloxy propyl terminated poly (3,3,3-trifluropropyl) methylsiloxane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional printed part with reactive moieties is formed from a thermo-set or a photo-set resin comprising an acrylic resin, a methacrylic resin, a silicon resin, a fluororesin, a styrene resin, a polyolefin resin, a thermoplastic elastomer, a polyoxyalkylene resin, a polyester resin, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyphenylene sulfide resin, a cellulose resin, a polyacetal resin, a melamine resin, a polyurethane resin, or a polyamide resin. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The process of claim 20, wherein at least one of the one or more reactive molecule(s) is/are not present in the thermo-set or photo-set resin. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the one or more reactive molecule(s) are not capable of reacting more than once. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the liquid bath is a silicone oil bath, an aqueous glycol bath, a fluorinated polyether bath, an aqueous DMSO bath, or a DMSO bath. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the liquid bath has a temperature within the range of about 30° C. to about 300° C. and immersing the includes subjecting the three dimensional printed part to the liquid bath for a period within the range of about 1 minute to about 24 hours. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein immersing includes changing the temperature of the liquid bath between a first temperature and a second temperature. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The process of claim 25, wherein immersing includes changing the temperature of the liquid bath between a first temperature and a second temperature the second temperature is greater than the first temperature and is less than the heat deflection temperature of the three dimensional printed part. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein providing the three dimensional printed part includes providing the three dimensional printed part having a cure percentage within the range of about 20% to about 80%. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 further comprising further curing the three dimensional printed part in the liquid bath during a period including at least one of during immersing and after immersing.