Support material and applications thereof
In one aspect, support materials operable for use in 3D printing systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a support material comprises a wax component comprising at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol and a viscosity modifying agent, wherein the support material is water dispersible. In some embodiments, the wax component comprises a mixture of at least one fatty alcohol and at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol.
1. A method of printing a three dimensional article comprising:
selectively depositing layers of a fluid build material to form the three-dimensional article on a substrate; and
supporting at least one of the layers of the build material with a support material, the support material comprising:
a wax component comprising at least one ethoxylated fatty alcohol;
a viscosity modifying component; and
a phase change agent operable to accelerate the freezing of the support material when the support material is deposited in a three-dimensional printing system,
wherein the phase change agent comprises a urethane wax that freezes or solidifies over a range of 1° C. to 3° C., and
wherein the support material is water dispersible following deposition of the support material in the three-dimensional printing system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layers of the build material are deposited according to an image of the three dimensional article in a computer readable format.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the build material is deposited according to preselected computer aided design (CAD) parameters.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising curing the build material.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing the support material from the build material by contacting the support material with water.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the support material is dispersed in the water to provide an aqueous dispersion.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising disposing of the aqueous dispersion of the support material in a wastewater treatment system without further treatment prior to entry of the aqueous dispersion into the wastewater treatment system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the build material solidifies upon deposition.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the build material remains substantially fluid upon deposition.