POLYMER PARTICLES AND RELATED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING METHODS

• Main Authors: SHIVANTHI EASWARI SRISKANDHA, VALERIE M FARRUGIA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 05.04.2023
• 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 NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

To provide methods for producing polymer particles that comprise a thermoplastic polymer and a nucleating agent and that are suitable for use in an additive manufacturing method where warping may be mitigated.SOLUTION: A method of producing polymer particles may comprise: cooling a thermoplastic polymer, a nucleating agent, a carrier fluid, and optionally an emulsion stabilizer and a mixture at a temperature greater than a melting point or a softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to emulsify a thermoplastic polymer melt in the carrier fluid, to form polymer particles; and separating the polymer particles from the carrier fluid, wherein the polymer particles comprise the thermoplastic polymer, the nucleating agent, and the emulsion stabilizer if included, and wherein the polymer particles have a crystallization temperature that is substantially the same as a crystallization temperature of the thermoplastic polymer prior to mixing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】反りが軽減され得る積層造形方法において有用な、熱可塑性ポリマー及び核剤を含むポリマー粒子の生成方法を提供する。【解決手段】ポリマー粒子を生成する方法は、分散媒中に熱可塑性ポリマー溶融物を乳化させるための熱可塑性ポリマーの融点又は軟化温度以上の温度での、熱可塑性ポリマー、核剤、分散媒、及び任意選択的に、乳化安定剤と、混合物を冷却してポリマー粒子を形成することと、ポリマー粒子を分散媒から分離することと、を含み得、ポリマー粒子は、熱可塑性ポリマー、核剤、含まれている場合、乳化安定剤を含み、ポリマー粒子は、混合前の熱可塑性ポリマーの結晶化温度と実質的に同じである結晶化温度を有する。【選択図】図１