Polymer powder for powder bed fusion methods
A polymer powder which is suitable for a powder bed fusion method contains a polymeric material coated with a hydrophobic substance that is at least one selected from the group consisting of a saturated fatty alcohol, an unsaturated fatty alcohol, a saturated fat, an unsaturated fat, a wax, a lactam, an alkene, and an alkane.
1. A polymer powder, comprising:
at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamide and copolyamide in powder form coated with a hydrophobic substance having a melting point of below 90° C., wherein the hydrophobic substance is dissolved and applied at a temperature not more than 80° C. and then dried, the hydrophobic substance being at least one selected from the group consisting of a saturated fatty alcohol, an unsaturated fatty alcohol, a saturated fat, an unsaturated fat, a wax, a lactam, an alkene, and an alkane, wherein the coating is not a mixture of the hydrophobic substance and the at least one polymer, and wherein the polymer powder comprises 0.15% to 20% by weight of the hydrophobic substance, based on the total weight of the polymer powder.
2. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkanes and alkenes.
3. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , which has a Wadell sphericity of at least 0.5.
4. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer powder has a surface energy of less than 35 mN/m.
5. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic substance has a boiling point of more than 190° C.
6. A method for producing the polymer powder according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
coating the polymer in powder form with the hydrophobic substance.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the coating is performed at a temperature of not more than 100° C.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the coating is performed in a suspension.
9. A method, comprising:
sintering the polymer powder according to claim 1 .
10. A method, comprising:
forming a shaped body from the process according to claim 9 .
11. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , which is suitable for a powder bed fusion method.
12. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic substance is a lactam.
13. The polymer powder according to claim 1 , wherein the coating consists of the hydrophobic substance.
14. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the coating consists of the hydrophobic substance.