Low printing temperature filaments for 3D printing
View Patent ↗A low printing temperature thermoplastic filament composition for fused filament fabrication 3D printing is described. The filament includes polycaprolactone in an amount from 70 to 90 wt %, at least one thermoplastic polymer having a melting temperature between approximately 60° C. and approximately 90° C. in an amount from approximately 10 to 30 wt %, at least one antioxidant, and at least one plasticizing agent. This 3D printing filament can be printed out at temperatures below 100° C. and no heated print bed is needed, which saves energy and minimizes the complexity of 3D printer. Besides the low printing temperature, this 3D printing material is bio-friendly which makes it safe for household use.
1. A low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament comprising:
polycaprolactone in an amount of 70 to 90 weight percent;
at least one low melting point polymer;
at least one antioxidant;
at least one plasticizing agent.
2. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the polycaprolactone has a molecular weight of 30,000 to 150,000.
3. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the weight percentage of the low melting temperature polymer is 10% to 30%.
4. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the melting temperature of the low melting temperature polymer is between 60° C. to 100° C.
5. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the low melting temperature polymer is selected from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or polyethylene glycol (PEG).
6. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the weight percentage of the antioxidant is 0.3%-1%.
7. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of pentaerythrite tetra-[β-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate], octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite and mixtures thereof.
8. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the weight percentage of the plasticizing agent is about 0.1% to about 1%.
9. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 1 , wherein the plasticizing agent is selected from the group consisting of white oil, silicone oil, and polyethylene wax.
10. A method of three-dimensional fused filament printing comprising:
heating a filament to a temperature below approximately 100° C. in a three-dimensional fused filament fabrication printer, the filament comprising at least one polycaprolactone in an amount of 70 to 90 weight percent, at least one thermoplastic polymer having a melting temperature between approximately 60° C. and approximately 100° C., at least one antioxidant, and at least one plasticizing agent;
extruding the filament through a printer head;
depositing the extruded filament on an unheated printing bed in layers to form a three-dimensional product.
11. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the polycaprolactone has a molecular weight of 30,000 to 150,000.
12. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the weight percentage of the low melting temperature polymer is 10% to 30%.
13. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the low melting temperature polymer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
14. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the weight percentage of the antioxidant is 0.3%-1%.
15. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of pentaerythrite tetra-[β-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate], octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite and mixtures thereof.
16. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the weight percentage of the plasticizing agent is about 0.1% to about 1%.
17. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 10 , wherein the plasticizing agent is selected from the group consisting of white oil, silicone oil, and polyethylene wax.
18. A low printing temperature three dimensional printing filament comprising:
polycaprolactone;
at least one low melting point polymer in an amount from 10 to 30 weight percent;
at least one antioxidant;
at least one plasticizing agent.
19. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the polycaprolactone has a molecular weight of 30,000 to 150,000.
20. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the melting temperature of the low melting temperature polymer is between 60° C. to 100° C.
21. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the low melting temperature polymer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
22. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the weight percentage of the antioxidant is 0.3%-1%.
23. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of pentaerythrite tetra-[β-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate], octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite and mixtures thereof.
24. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the weight percentage of the plasticizing agent is about 0.1% to about 1%.
25. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the plasticizing agent is selected from the group consisting of white oil, silicone oil, and polyethylene wax.
26. The low printing temperature three-dimensional printing filament of claim 18 , wherein the amount of the polycaprolactone is 70 to 90 weight percent.
27. A method of three-dimensional fused filament printing comprising:
heating a filament to a temperature below approximately 100° C. in a three-dimensional fused filament fabrication printer, the filament comprising at least one polycaprolactone, at least one thermoplastic polymer having a melting temperature between approximately 60° C. and approximately 100° C. in an amount from 10 to 30 weight percent, at least one antioxidant, and at least one plasticizing agent;
extruding the filament through a printer head;
depositing the extruded filament on an unheated printing bed in layers to form a three-dimensional product.
28. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the polycaprolactone has a molecular weight of 30,000 to 150,000.
29. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the amount of the polycaprolactone is 70 to 90 weight percent.
30. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the low melting temperature polymer is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
31. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the weight percentage of the antioxidant is 0.3%-1%.
32. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of pentaerythrite tetra-[β-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate], octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite and mixtures thereof.
33. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the weight percentage of the plasticizing agent is about 0.1% to about 1%.
34. The method of three-dimensional fused filament printing of claim 27 , wherein the plasticizing agent is selected from the group consisting of white oil, silicone oil, and polyethylene wax.