CORE-SHELL FILAMENT FOR USE IN EXTRUSION-BASED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND METHOD OF PRINTING PARTS

    公开(公告)号:US20210387402A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-12-16

    申请号:US17290852

    申请日:2019-11-04

    Abstract: A filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system includes an elastomeric core and a harder, non-elastomeric shell. The core compositionally comprising an elastomeric core material having a flexural modulus of less than 31,000 psi and a durameter of less than 80 Shore. The shell overlays the core portion and compositionally comprises a non-elastomeric thermoplastic shell material that is substantially miscible with the elastomeric core material, wherein the core material and the shell material have the same monomer chemistry. The non-elastomeric thermoplastic shell material has a flexural modulus that is greater than the flexural modulus of the elastomeric core material by at least a factor of five, wherein the shell provides sufficient strength or stiffness to the filament such that filament can be utilized as a feedstock in the extrusion-based additive manufacturing system.

    METHOD FOR UNDERWATER PROCESSING OF WATER-DISPERSIBLE MATERIALS

    公开(公告)号:US20220325050A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-10-13

    申请号:US17717570

    申请日:2022-04-11

    Abstract: A method of processing a water-dispersible, polymer-based material in a bath of a water-based solution includes providing a molten water-dispersible polymer material having monovalent cations. The water-dispersible polymer is introduced into a water bath comprising multivalent salt dissociated in the water bath into multivalent cations and anions. The water-dispersible polymer is retained within the water bath with the dissociated multivalent cations to quench the water-dispersible, polymer-based material while the monovalent cations proximate a surface of the water-dispersible polymer are exchanged with multivalent cations to form a barrier that temporarily resists dispersion of the water-dispersible, polymer-based material within the water bath. The method includes removing the water-dispersible polymer from water bath after the exchange step.

    WATER DISPERSIBLE SULFONATED THERMOPLASTIC COPOLYMER FOR USE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

    公开(公告)号:US20210348010A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-11-11

    申请号:US17283819

    申请日:2019-10-10

    Abstract: A sulfonated water-dispersible thermoplastic copolymer material for use as a support material in an additive manufacturing process is made by a method comprising providing a selected thermoplastic copolymer having an acid or an anhydride group; esterifying the acid group of the selected thermoplastic copolymer with a hydroxyl-functionalized sulfonate salt, or amidizing the acid group of the selected thermoplastic copolymer with an amine sulfonate salt, or imidizing the anhydride group of the selected thermoplastic copolymer with an amine sulfonate salt. The esterification, the amidization or the imidization results in a sulfonated water thermoplastic dispersible copolymer having a glass transition temperature suitable to provide an effective support during the additive manufacturing process and wherein the sulfonated water-dispersible thermoplastic copolymer will disperse in tap water in less than 1 hour.

    METHOD OF TREATING A DISPERSION OF SULFOPOLYMER

    公开(公告)号:US20210237364A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-08-05

    申请号:US17234319

    申请日:2021-04-19

    Abstract: A method of recycling a water dispersible sulfonated polymer material used as a support structure in an additive manufacturing process includes providing a tap water bath and placing a printed part having an adhered support structure into the tap water bath, the support structure comprising a water-soluble sulfonated polymer material. The method includes dissolving the sulfonated polymer material in the water bath to thereby create a dispersion, and modifying the ionic strength of the dispersion by adding a multivalent metal salt to the dispersion at a concentration of between 1 gram/L and 30 grams/L, to precipitate the dissolved sulfonated polymer material from the water. The method includes recovering the precipitated sulfonated polymer material from the water, drying the recovered sulfonated polymer material and reforming the dried sulfonated polymer material into a form suitable for subsequent use as a consumable feedstock in an additive manufacturing process.

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