Method for SLS of PEKK and articles manufactured from the same
A process for layer-by-layer manufacturing a three-dimensional object from a powder and objects made from the same is described. The process includes the step of applying a layer of a powder on a bed of a laser sintering machine. The powder includes polyetherketoneketone. The process further includes the step of solidifying selected points of the applied layer of powder by irradiation using heat energy introduced by a laser having a power L and successively repeating the step of applying the powder and the step of solidifying the applied layer of powder until all cross sections of a three-dimensional object are solidified. L is between 1 W and 20 W. In some embodiments L is between 1 and 10 W. In some embodiments, the powder is recycled PEKK powder. In some embodiments, the powder includes carbon fiber.
1. A process for layer-by-layer manufacturing a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:
selecting a powder comprising polyetherketoneketone (PEKK);
constructing a plurality of test rods from the selected powder using a laser by selective laser sintering (SLS), each of the plurality of test rods being sintered at a different laser power;
inspecting each test rod for voids in a surface of the test rod, the voids having a width of at least 0.005″;
identifying a laser power L used to construct a test rod in the plurality of test rods without formation of voids having a width of at least 0.005″ in a surface of the test rod as an optimal laser power for the selected powder;
applying a layer of the selected powder on a bed of a laser sintering machine;
sintering selected points of the applied layer of the selected powder by irradiation using heat energy introduced by a laser having the laser power L; and
successively repeating the step of applying and the step of sintering until all cross sections of the three-dimensional object are sintered.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the powder comprises unused PEKK that has not been used in a selective laser sintering (SLS) process.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the laser power L is between 10 Watts (W) and 20 W.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the laser power L is between 10 W and 15 W.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the powder comprises a recycled PEKK powder,
wherein the recycled PEKK is a PEKK powder that has been previously used in a selective laser sintering (SLS) process.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the laser power L is between 1 W and 10 W.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the recycled PEKK powder comprises Cake A,
wherein Cake A is a PEKK powder that has been subject to only one prior SLS process.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the laser power L is between 5 W and 10 W.
9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the recycled PEKK powder comprises Cake B,
wherein Cake B is a PEKK powder that has been subject to only two prior SLS processes.
10. The process of claim 6 , wherein the powder comprises carbon fiber.
11. The process of claim 10 , wherein an average in-plane tensile strength of the three-dimensional object is greater than 10 ksi.
12. The process of claim 11 , wherein an average out-of-plane tensile strength of the three-dimensional object is greater than 10 ksi.
13. A three-dimensional object made by a process comprising the following steps:
selecting a powder comprising polyetherketoneketone (PEKK);
constructing a plurality of test rods from the selected powder using a laser by selective laser sintering (SLS), each of the test rods of the plurality of test rods being sintered at a different laser power;
inspecting each test rod for voids in a surface of the test rod, the voids having a width of at least 0.005″;
identifying a laser power L used to construct a test rod in the plurality of test rods without formation of voids having a width of at least 0.005″ in a surface of the test rod as an optimal laser power for the selected powder;
applying a layer of the selected powder on a bed of a laser sintering machine;
sintering selected points of the applied layer of the selected powder by irradiation using heat energy introduced by a laser having the laser power L; and
successively repeating the step of applying and the step of sintering until all cross sections of the three-dimensional object are sintered.
14. The three-dimensional object of claim 13 , wherein the powder comprises unused PEKK,
wherein the unused PEKK is a PEKK powder that has not been used in a selective laser sintering (SLS) process.
15. The three-dimensional object of claim 14 , wherein the laser power L is between 10 Watts (W) and 20 W.
16. The three-dimensional object of claim 15 , wherein the laser power L is between 10 W and 15 W.
17. The three-dimensional object of claim 13 , wherein the powder comprises a recycled PEKK powder,
wherein the recycled PEKK is a PEKK powder that has been previously used in a selective laser sintering (SLS) process.
18. The three-dimensional object of claim 13 , wherein the laser power L is between 1 W and 10 W.
19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the laser power L is between 1 W and 20 W.
20. The three-dimensional object of claim 13 , wherein the laser power L is between 1 W and 20 W.