Flexible feedstock
A flexible 3D printing feedstock material is disclosed. The flexible 3D printing feedstock material includes 45-80 vol % of a powder having at least one of a metal powder and a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol % of a non-soluble binder component. Methods of forming the flexible 3D printing feedstock material by melt mixing the components are disclosed. Methods of producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the 3D printing feedstock material are also disclosed.
1. A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
60-75 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble component consisting of petrolatum, and 5-30 vol % of a backbone component comprising a non-soluble component, the material formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
2. The material of claim 1 , having 15-25 vol % of the petrolatum as the soluble component.
3. The material of claim 1 , wherein particles of the metal powder have a median size of less than 50 μm.
4. The material of claim 1 , wherein the compatibilizer comprises stearic acid.
5. The material of claim 1 , wherein the non-soluble component comprises linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE).
6. The material of claim 1 , wherein the non-soluble component comprises at least one of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
7. The material of claim 1 , formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 10% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
8. The material of claim 7 , formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 25% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
9. A method of producing a 3D printed part, the method comprising operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the material of claim 1 to print the 3D printed part.
10. A method of forming a flexible 3D printing feedstock material, the method comprising melt mixing components including 60-75 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble component consisting of petrolatum, and 5-30 vol % of a backbone component comprising a non-soluble component, and formulating the material to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein melt mixing the components is performed under vacuum.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein melt mixing the components comprises:
melting the non-soluble component
combining the petrolatum and the melted non-soluble component to form a first premixture; and
combining the metal powder and the compatibilizer with the first premixture to form a melt mixture.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising combining the metal powder and the compatibilizer to form a second premixture and combining the first premixture and the second premixture to form the melt mixture.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the material into a filament by extrusion.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer with the filament to print the 3D printed part.
16. A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
60-75 vol % of a metal powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 5-25 vol % of a non-soluble binder, 5-20 vol % of a soluble component, and 5-25 vol % of a hydrocarbon resin as a soluble tackifier, the material formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
17. The material of claim 16 , comprising:
60-66 vol % of the metal powder, 10-14 vol % LLDPE as the non-soluble binder, 10-14 vol % ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer as the soluble component, 12-18 vol % of a low molecular weight hydrocarbon resin as the soluble tackifier, and 0-2% of the compatibilizer.
18. A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
60-75 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble component consisting of petrolatum, and 5-30 vol % of a backbone component comprising a non-soluble component, the material formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
19. The material of claim 18 , having 15-25 vol % of the petrolatum as the soluble component.
20. The material of claim 18 , wherein particles of the ceramic powder have a median size of less than 50 μm.
21. The material of claim 18 , wherein the compatibilizer comprises stearic acid.
22. The material of claim 18 , wherein the non-soluble component comprises linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE).
23. The material of claim 18 , wherein the non-soluble component comprises at least one of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
24. A method of producing a 3D printed part, the method comprising operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the material of claim 18 to print the 3D printed part.
25. A method of forming a flexible 3D printing feedstock material, the method comprising melt mixing components including 60-75 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol % of a soluble component consisting of petrolatum, and 5-30 vol % of a backbone component comprising a non-soluble component, the material formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein melt mixing the components is performed under vacuum.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein melt mixing the components comprises:
melting the non-soluble component;
combining the petrolatum and the melted non-soluble component to form a first premixture; and
combining the ceramic powder and the compatibilizer with the first premixture to form a melt mixture.
28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising combining the ceramic powder and the compatibilizer to form a second premixture and combining the first premixture and the second premixture to form the melt mixture.
29. The method of claim 25 , further comprising forming the material into a filament by extrusion.
30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer with the filament to print the 3D printed part.
31. A flexible 3D printing feedstock material comprising:
60-75 vol % of a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol % of a compatibilizer, 5-25 vol % of a non-soluble, 5-20 vol % of a soluble component, and 5-25 vol % of a hydrocarbon resin as a soluble tackifier, the material formulated to exhibit a flexural strain of greater than 3% while substantially maintaining structural integrity during feeding to a print head between 20° C. and 27° C.
32. The material of claim 31 , comprising:
60-66 vol % of the ceramic powder, 10-14 vol % LLDPE as the non-soluble binder, 10-14 vol % ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer as the soluble component, 12-18 vol % of a low molecular weight hydrocarbon resin as the soluble tackifier, and 0-2% of the compatibilizer.
33. The material of claim 5 , wherein the backbone component is substantially free of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
34. The material of claim 5 , wherein the non-soluble component further comprises an ethylene and methyl acrylate copolymer.
35. The material of claim 16 , wherein the non-soluble binder comprises LLDPE and is substantially free of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
36. The material of claim 35 , wherein the non-soluble binder further comprises an ethylene and methyl acrylate copolymer.
37. The material of claim 16 , wherein the soluble component is a soluble polymeric binder.
38. The material of claim 16 , wherein the soluble component is a soluble flexibilizer consisting of petrolatum.
39. The material of claim 22 , wherein the backbone component is substantially free of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
40. The material of claim 22 , wherein the non-soluble component further comprises an ethylene and methyl acrylate copolymer.
41. The material of claim 31 , wherein the non-soluble comprises LLDPE and is substantially free of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
42. The material of claim 41 , wherein the non-soluble binder further comprises an ethylene and methyl acrylate copolymer.
43. The material of claim 31 , wherein the soluble component is a soluble polymeric binder.
44. The material of claim 31 , wherein the soluble component is a soluble flexibilizer consisting of petrolatum.