Methods of using thermoplastic polyurethanes in fused deposition modeling and systems and articles thereof

A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object, comprising the step of:

• operating a system for solid freeform fabrication of an object;
• wherein said system comprises a solid freeform fabrication apparatus that deposits a semi-continuous flow or filament of building materials in a controlled manner;
• so as to form the three-dimensional object;
• wherein said building materials comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane derived from (a) a polyisocyanate component, (b) a polyol component, and (c) a chain extender component, wherein the mole ratio of the chain extender to the polyol is greater than 1.5;
• wherein the resulting thermoplastic polyurethane has a crystallization temperature above 80° C.;
• and
• wherein the resulting thermoplastic polyurethane retains more than 20% of its shear storage modulus at 100° C. relative to its shear storage modulus at 20° C.