Opaque inks and applications thereof
View Patent ↗In one aspect, inks for use with a three dimensional printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink for use in a three dimensional printing system comprises about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component.
1. An ink for use in a three dimensional printing system comprising:
about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component; and
about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component,
wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component; and
wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C.
2. The ink of claim 1 further comprising an oil.
3. The ink of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises about 1-10 weight % of the ink.
4. The ink of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises a plant oil.
5. The ink of claim 1 further comprising at least one dye.
6. The ink of claim 1 further comprising one or more additives selected from the group consisting of photoinitiators, inhibitors, stabilizing agents, sensitizers, and combinations thereof.
7. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the ink is not pigmented.
8. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the ink does not comprise an inorganic pigment.
9. The ink of claim 7 , wherein the ink is opaque at about 25° C. when cured.
10. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable component comprises one or more species of (meth)acrylates.
11. The ink of claim 1 , wherein the non-reactive wax component comprises an SPC wax.
12. A three dimensionally printed dental model comprising an ink, the ink comprising about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component, wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C., and wherein the ink is not pigmented.
13. A method of printing a three dimensional article comprising:
selectively depositing layers of a fluid ink to form the three dimensional article on a substrate, the ink comprising about 10-95 weight % polymerizable component and about 3-25 weight % non-reactive wax component, wherein the ink when cured has a T g greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component, and wherein the T g is between 75° C. and 150° C.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the layers of the ink are deposited according to an image of the three dimensional article in a computer readable format.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising supporting at least one of the layers of the ink with a support material.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising curing the layers of ink.
17. The method of claim 13 further comprising heating the three dimensional article to a temperature greater than the melting point of the non-reactive wax component.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising cooling the three dimensional article to about 25° C.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein cooling is carried out within about 5 minutes or less.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein cooling comprises at least partially immersing the three dimensional article in a cooled liquid at a temperature between about −90° C. and about 25° C. or placing the three dimensional article in a refrigerator.