Molten liquid-marbles and curtailing agent for forming 3D parts
OwnerDaniel John Verdell Pulsipherinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present subject matter relates to a method for creating interconnected or continuous layers of material by using a heated powdered composition comprising base particles and an obstruction material and applying a curtailing agent to said powdered composition. The heated powdered composition may be held at a temperature higher than its melting or softening point and the obstruction material prevents particle-particle coalescence until the curtailing agent is applied.
Claims20
A method for creating interconnected or continuous layers of material, the method comprising:
- heating a layer of a powdered composition comprising base particles and a powdered obstruction material around or between the base particles, wherein the obstruction material at least partially obstructs the base particles from combining or coalescing together;
- and
- when the layer of the powdered composition is raised to or held at an elevated temperature that is at or above a melting or softening point of the base particles, selectively applying a curtailing agent to the powdered composition;
- wherein a melting or softening point of the obstruction material is higher than the melting or softening point of the base particles;
- and
- wherein the curtailing agent comprises a chemical that aids the base particles to at least partially coalesce together at a location where the curtailing agent is applied by acting as a temporary plasticizer to increase the mobility of the base particles or by aiding in at least partially diminishing, dispersing, and/or allowing thermal bridging of the obstruction material contained in the powdered composition at the location.
A material composition used in an additive manufacturing process which has a powdered composition comprising base particles being raised to an elevated temperature that is at or above a melting point, glass transition temperature, or softening point of the base particles without the base particles substantially combining or coalescing together at said elevated temperature, the material composition comprising;
- a powdered composition comprising:
- the base particles having the melting point, glass transition temperature, or softening point;
- and
- a powdered obstruction material around or between the base particles, the obstruction material being configured to at least partially obstruct the base particles from combining or coalescing together at the elevated temperature;
- and
- a curtailing agent configured to, when the layer of the powdered composition is raised to or held at the elevated temperature, aid the base particles to at least partially coalesce together at a location where the curtailing agent is selectively applied by acting as a temporary plasticizer to increase the mobility of the base particles or by aiding in at least partially diminishing, dispersing, and/or allowing thermal bridging of the obstruction material contained in the powdered composition at the location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.