IP Library Granted Patent US 11,999,103
Granted Patent B2
US 11,999,103 · App. 17/815,144 · Granted Jun 4, 2024

Filament materials comprising marking additives for extrusion-based additive manufacturing systems

Inventor: Nan Xing Hu (Oakville, CA)
Assignee: Xerox Corporation
B29C64/188B29C64/118B33Y10/00B33Y70/10C08K3/013C08K3/042C08L5/00C08L55/02C08L61/28B41M5/267C08K2201/011
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,999,103
App. No.
17/815,144
Granted
Jun 4, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A filament material and a method for producing the same is disclosed. For example, the filament material includes a polymer resin that is compatible with an extrusion based printing process and a marking additive that allows selective portions of the filament material to change color when exposed to a light, wherein the marking additive is added to approximately 0.01 to 25.00 weight percent (wt %).

Claims (27)

1. A method for producing a filament material for an extrusion based printer, comprising:

providing a polymer resin that is compatible with the extrusion based printer;

mixing into the polymer resin a marking additive that is color changeable in response to certain light wavelengths to form the filament material such that when a surface of the filament material is exposed to the certain light wavelengths, a mark on the surface of the filament material is formed due to a change in color of the marking additive; and

mixing into the polymer resin and the marking additive a developer component comprising at least one of: a polyphenol, a melamine resin, or a polysaccharide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer resin comprises at least one of: an acrylic resin; a polymer or a copolymer produced from a monomer selected from a group of: acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene, an acrylate, a methacrylate, and a mixture thereof; a polyolefin; a polyester; a polycarbonate; polylactic acid; a thermoplastic polyurethane; a polyamide; a polyimide; polysulfone; a poly(aryl ether); a poly(aryl ether ketone); a poly(aryl ether sulfone); poly(ether imide); a polyarylenesulfide, poly(vinyl alcohol), or polyvinylidene fluoride.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marking additive comprises an infrared absorption component that absorbs light at wavelengths of 780 nanometers (nm) to 11000 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marking additive comprises at least one of: a metal oxide, a non-stoichiometric metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a copper hydroxyphosphate, a copper pyrophosphate, a base copper carbonate, ammonium octamolebdate, a silver halide, a phthalocyanine, a naphthalocyanine, graphitic oxide, graphene oxide, or carbon black.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal oxide or the non-stoichiometric metal oxide comprises at least one of: tin, antimony, bismuth, boron, titanium, indium, iron, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, or vanadium.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metal hydroxide comprises at least one of: aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, or copper hydroxide.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mixing into the polymer resin and the marking additive a support material comprising at least one of: silica, alumina, titanium oxide, mica, kaolin, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, talc, or ceramic.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mixing into the polymer resin and the marking additive a pigment or a colorant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the certain light wavelengths are emitted from a pulsed laser light source or a continuous laser light source.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marking additive is present in an amount of 0.01 to 25.00 weight percent (wt %).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mark comprises information related to processing parameters of the filament material with the marking additive in the extrusion based printer to automatically set the processing parameters in the extrusion based printer.

12. A method for marking a three-dimensional (3D) printed object that is printed with a filament material with a marking additive, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, instructions to print the 3D printed object;

controlling, by the processor, an extrusion based printer to print the 3D printed object in accordance with the instructions, wherein the 3D printed object is printed with the filament material with the marking additive, wherein the filament material with the marking additive comprises a polymer resin and 0.01 to 25.00 weight percent (wt %) of the marking additive that is color changeable in response to certain light wavelengths, wherein the filament material further comprises a support material comprising at least one of: silica, alumina, titanium oxide, mica, kaolin, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, talc, or ceramic;

receiving, by the processor, marking instructions associated with a marking for the 3D printed object; and

controlling, by the processor, a laser to expose portions of a surface of the 3D printed object in accordance with the marking instructions to change a color of the portions of the surface of 3D printed object to write the marking on the surface of the 3D printed object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laser comprises at least one of: a fiber laser, a diode laser, a diode array laser, a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser, or a carbon dioxide laser that emits light at approximately 780 nanometers (nm) to approximately 11,000 nm.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the marking comprises alphanumeric text, a graphic, or an image.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the polymer resin comprises at least one of: an acrylic resin; a polymer or a copolymer produced from a monomer selected from a group of: acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene, an acrylate, a methacrylate, and a mixture thereof; a polyolefin; a polyester; a polycarbonate; polylactic acid; a thermoplastic polyurethane; a polyamide; a polyimide; polysulfone; a poly(aryl ether); a poly(aryl ether ketone); a poly(aryl ether sulfone); poly(ether imide); a polyarylenesulfide, poly(vinyl alcohol), or polyvinylidene fluoride.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the marking additive comprises at least one of: a metal oxide, a non-stoichiometric metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a copper hydroxyphosphate, a copper pyrophosphate, a base copper carbonate, ammonium octamolebdate, a silver halide, a phthalocyanine, a naphthalocyanine, graphitic oxide, graphene oxide, or carbon black.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filament material further comprises a developer component comprising at least one of: a polyphenol, a melamine resin, or a polysaccharide.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filament material further comprises a pigment or a colorant.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2026
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: GENESEE VALLEY INNOVATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 075020/0755 →
SECOND LIEN NOTES PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 2, 2025
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071785/0550 →
FIRST LIEN NOTES PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 11, 2025
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 070824/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2024
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066741/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2023
From: XEROX CORPORATION
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 065628/0019 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2022
From: HU, NAN XING
To: XEROX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060630/0005 →