Three-dimensional (3d) printing system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsAli Emamjomeh, Keshava A. Prasad, Glenn Thomas Haddick
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Abstract
A three-dimensional (3D) printing system includes a fabrication bed, a build material to be introduced into the fabrication bed, an inkjet applicator, a coalescing agent to be selectively introduced by the inkjet applicator onto the build material in the fabrication bed, and a radiation source to expose the coalescing agent and the build material in the fabrication bed to electromagnetic radiation. The coalescing agent includes a co-solvent having a boiling point of less than 300 C, a surfactant having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value that is less than 10, a carbon black pigment, a polymeric dispersant, and a balance of water.
Claims15
A three-dimensional (3D) printing system, comprising:
- a fabrication bed;
- a build material to be introduced into the fabrication bed;
- an inkjet applicator;
- a coalescing agent to be selectively introduced by the inkjet applicator onto the build material in the fabrication bed, the coalescing agent including:
- a co-solvent having a boiling point of less than 300° C.;
- a surfactant having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value that is less than 10;
- a carbon black pigment;
- a polymeric dispersant;
- and
- a balance of water;
- and
- a radiation source to expose the coalescing agent and the build material in the fabrication bed to electromagnetic radiation.
A three-dimensional (3D) printing method, comprising:
- applying a build material;
- heating the build material to a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 400° C.;
- selectively applying a coalescing agent on a portion of the build material, the coalescing agent including:
- a co-solvent having a boiling point of less than 300° C.;
- a surfactant having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value that is less than 10;
- a carbon black pigment;
- a polymeric dispersant;
- and
- a balance of water;
- and
- exposing the build material and the coalescing agent to electromagnetic radiation, whereby the coalescing agent absorbs the electromagnetic radiation and heats up the portion of the build material in contact with the coalescing agent to fuse the portion of the build material in contact with the coalescing agent.
A three-dimensional (3D) object printing kit, comprising:
- a build material;
- and
- a coalescing agent, including:
- a co-solvent present in an amount ranging from about 15 wt % to about 30 wt % of a total wt % of the coalescing agent;
- a surfactant present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 wt % to about 1.4 wt % of the total wt % of the coalescing agent, the surfactant having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value that is less than 10;
- a carbon black pigment present in an amount ranging from about 3.0 wt % to about 6.0 wt % of the total wt % of the coalescing agent;
- a polymeric dispersant having a weight average molecular weight ranging from about 12,000 to about 20,000;
- and
- a balance of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.