Binders and methods of binder jetting including branched polymer binders and articles made therefrom

A method of binder jetting of a 3D-printed article in a layer-by-layer fashion, the method comprising:

• a) providing a first layer of powder;
• b) ink-jet depositing a binder onto the first layer of the powder in a pattern that corresponds to a first layer of the article, wherein the binder comprises a branched-chain polymer and a solvent;
• c) providing a subsequent layer of powder onto either the first layer of powder or a previous layer of powder;
• d) ink-jet depositing the binder onto the subsequent layer of powder in a pattern that corresponds to a subsequent layer of the article;
• e) repeating steps (c) and (d) to form the article layer-by-layer by forming each subsequent layer of the article on a previous layer of the article;
• wherein the concentration of the branched-chain polymer in the binder is above a maximum printable concentration of the otherwise same binder and under the otherwise same conditions except replacing the branched-chain polymer with a linear-chain polymer of the same repeat units and having the same Mn.