FDM printed item with dopant material

Abstract

The invention provides a method for producing a 3D item (1) by means of fused deposition modeling, the method comprising a 3D printing stage comprising layer-wise depositing an extrudate (321) comprising 3D printable material (201), to provide the 3D item (1) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the 3D item (1) comprises layers (322) of 3D printed material (202), wherein the method further comprises controlling a first temperature T1 of the 3D printable material (201) within a first temperature range, wherein the 3D printable material (201) comprises a thermoplastic host material (401) and a dopant material (410) in the range of 1-20 vol %, the dopant material (410) comprising polymeric flake-like particles having a metal coating, wherein the 3D printable material (201) has an optical property that irreversibly changes from a low-temperature optical property to a high-temperature optical property when increasing a temperature of the 3D printable material (201) over a change temperature Tc, the optical property being selected from the group consisting of reflection, transmission, luminescence, absorption, and color, wherein the change temperature Tc is within the first temperature range, wherein during at least a first part of the 3D printing stage the first temperature T1 is below the change temperature Tc, and wherein during at least a second part of the 3D printing stage the first temperature T1 is above the change temperature Tc.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.