ABS/polycarbonate/poly(styrene-co-maleimide) part material for electrophotography-based additive manufacturing
A part material for printing three-dimensional parts with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material including a composition having a grafted copolymer (including acrylonitrile units, butadiene units, aromatic units modified with polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-maleimide)), a charge control agent, and a heat absorber. The part material is provided in a powder form having a controlled particle size, and is configured for use in the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having a layer transfusion assembly for printing the three-dimensional parts in a layer-by-layer manner.
1. A part material for printing three-dimensional parts with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material comprising:
a composition comprising:
a grafted polymer comprising acrylonitrile units, butadiene units, aromatic units, polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-maleimide);
a charge control agent; and
a heat absorber;
wherein the part material is provided in a powder form having a D50 particle size ranging from about 5 micrometers to about 30 micrometers; and
wherein the part material is configured for use in the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having a layer transfusion assembly for printing the three-dimensional parts in a layer-by-layer manner.
2. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic units comprise styrene units.
3. The part material of claim 2 , wherein the polymer comprises an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) grafted copolymer.
4. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the D50 particle size ranges from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.
5. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the powder form also has a D90/D50 particle size distribution and a D50/D10 particle size distribution each ranging from about 1.00 to about 1.40.
6. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the charge control agent is selected from the group consisting of chromium di-t-butylsalicylic acids and oxy carboxylic acid complexes, zinc di-t-butylsalicylic acids and oxy carboxylic acid complexes, aluminum di-t-butylsalicylic acids and oxy carboxylic acid complexes, and mixtures thereof.
7. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the charge control agent constitutes from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the part material.
8. The part material of claim 1 , wherein the heat absorber constitutes from about 0.05% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material.
9. A part material for printing three-dimensional parts with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material comprising:
a composition comprising:
an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) grafted copolymer modified with polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-maleimide);
a charge control agent constituting from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the part material;
an optional flow control agent constituting from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material; and
a heat absorber constituting from about 0.05% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material;
wherein the part material is provided in a powder form having a D50 particle size ranging from about 5 micrometers to about 30 micrometers, and D90/D50 particle size distribution and a D50/D10 particle size distribution each ranging from about 1.00 to about 1.40; and
wherein the part material is configured for use in the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having a layer transfusion assembly for printing the three-dimensional parts in a layer-by-layer manner.
10. The part material of claim 9 , wherein the part material is formulated, at least in part, with an evaporative limited coalescence process.
11. The part material of claim 10 , wherein the D50 particle size ranges from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.
12. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having an electrophotography engine, a transfer medium, and a layer transfusion assembly, the method comprising:
providing a part material to the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material compositionally comprising a charge control agent, a heat absorber, and a grafted copolymer having acrylonitrile units, butadiene units, aromatic units, polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-maleimide) and has a powder form;
triboelectrically charging the part material to a Q/M ratio having a negative charge or a positive charge, and a magnitude ranging from about −5 micro-Coulombs/gram to about −50 micro-Coulombs/gram;
developing layers of the three-dimensional part from the charged part material with the electrophotography engine;
electrostatically attracting the developed layers from the electrophotography engine to the transfer medium;
moving the attracted layers to the layer transfusion assembly with the transfer medium; and
transfusing the moved layers to previously-printed layers of the three-dimensional part with the layer transfusion assembly.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the polymer comprises an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) grafted copolymer modified with polycarbonate and poly(styrene-co-maleimide).
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the powder form of the part material has a D50 particle size ranging from about 5 micrometers to about 30 micrometers, and a D90/D50 particle size distribution and a D50/D10 particle size distribution each ranging from about 1.00 to about 1.40.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the charge control agent constitutes from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the part material, and wherein the heat absorber constitutes from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material.