Powder composition and methods for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

Abstract

The invention is in the field of additive manufacturing. There is provided a method for manufacturing a powder composition having a D50 particle size value of 20-150 microns suitable for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a particulate starting material comprising a semicrystalline polymer; (b) optionally, compacting the starting material with a compacting pressure of >5 kN/cm2, thereby obtaining a compacted material; (c) optionally, reducing the size of the particulate starting material or the compacted material; (d) dry blending the starting material, the compacted material, or the size-reduced material with a pigment using high shear mixing; (e) optionally, size fractionating the starting material, the compacted material, the size-reduced material and/or the dry blended material. There is also provided a powder composition having a D50 particle size value of 20-150 microns, preferably obtainable by a such a method, suitable for additive manufacturing powder bed fusion processes, comprising a semicrystalline polymer and a pigment, wherein the powder composition has a reflectance at 800 nm of 30% or less, preferably 25% or less. There is also provided an additive manufacturing method for the layerwise formation of a three-dimensional article from such a powder composition, wherein the method comprises a step of selectively fusing a cross section of the article within each of a plurality of successive layers by applying fusing radiation, as well as an article comprising a semicrystalline polymer, obtainable by a such a method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.