3D PRINTING PROCESS

• Main Author: SAYWELL, Christopher
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.02.2024
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A 3D printing process for manufacturing an article, which is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, the process comprising the steps of: (i) provision of a first layer comprising a printing material, said printing material comprising polypropylene in non-nucleated and/or alpha-nucleated form; (ii) the optional provision of a second layer to at least a portion of the first layer; (iii) application of heat to at least a portion of the layer or layers; and (iv) optionally repeating steps (i) to (iii) one or more times; wherein the first layer or the second layer comprises a beta nucleating agent, and wherein the temperature of the printing material is between the melting temperature and the crystallisation temperature of the printing material. Also described is an ink for 3D printing, wherein the 3D printing process is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, the ink comprising a beta nucleating agent, the use of the ink and an article obtained by the process.