Formulations usable in additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object made of a soft material
Modeling material formulations and formulation systems usable in additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, featuring, when hardened, a Shore A hardness lower than 10 and/or a Shore 00 hardness lower than 40, are provided. Additive manufacturing processes utilizing these formulations and formulation systems, and three-dimensional objects obtainable thereby, are also provided.
1. A curable formulation comprising:
a mono-functional curable material, in an amount of from 50 to 89 weight percents, the mono-functional curable material selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated nonylphenyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, lauryl acrylate and ethoxylated lauryl acrylate;
a non-curable polymeric material, in an amount ranging from 10 to 49 weight percents, the non-curable polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene glycol and block copolymers of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol; and
a multi-functional curable material, in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 weight percents, the multi-functional curable material selected from the group consisting of urethane diacrylate, aliphatic triacrylate and epoxy diacrylate,
wherein:
(i) said non-curable polymeric material has a molecular weight of at least 1000 Daltons; and/or
(ii) said non-curable polymeric material has a Tg lower than 0; and/or
(iii) at least 80 weight percents of the total amount of said mono-functional and said multi-functional curable materials include curable materials having, when hardened, a Tg lower than 0° C.,
the curable formulation having, when hardened, a Shore A hardness lower than 0 or a Shore 00 hardness lower than 40.
2. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the total amount of said mono-functional and said multi-functional curable materials and the amount of said non-curable polymeric material ranges from 4:1 to 1.1:1, or from 3:1 to 2:1.
3. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein an amount of said mono-functional curable material ranges from 50 to 60 weight percents, or from 55 to 60 weight percents.
4. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein an amount of said multi-functional curable material ranges from 3 to 10 weight percents, or from 5 to 10 weight percents.
5. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein said non-curable polymeric material features a molecular weight of at least 1000, or at least 1500 or at least 2000 Daltons; and a Tg lower than 0, or lower than −10, or lower than −20, ° C.
6. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein:
said non-curable polymeric material comprises polypropylene glycol; and/or
said non-curable polymeric material is a block co-polymer that comprises at least one polypropylene glycol block; and/or
said non-curable polymeric material is a block co-polymer that comprises at least one polypropylene glycol block and at least one polyethylene glycol block, wherein a total amount of said polyethylene glycol in said block co-polymer is no more than 10 weight percents, wherein a ratio of polypropylene glycol blocks and said polyethylene glycol blocks in said block-copolymer is at least 2:1; and/or
said non-curable polymeric material comprises a polypropylene glycol and/or a block co-polymer comprising at least one polypropylene glycol block, each featuring a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons.
7. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein said mono-functional curable material features, when hardened, a Tg lower than −10, or lower than −20° C.
8. The curable formulation of claim 1 , wherein said multi-functional curable material features, when hardened, a Tg lower than −10, or lower than −20° C.
9. The curable formulation of claim 1 , comprising:
a mono-functional amphiphilic acrylate that comprises a hydrophobic moiety, in an amount of 25-35 weight percents;
a mono-functional hydrophobic acrylate, in an amount of 25-30 weight percents;
a multi-functional acrylate, in an amount of 5-10 weight percents; and
a non-curable polymeric material featuring a molecular weight of at least 1000, or at least 1500 or at least 2000 Daltons; and a Tg lower than 0, or lower than −10, or lower than −20, ° C., in an amount of 30-35 weight percents.
10. The curable formulation of claim 9 , wherein said non-curable polymeric material comprises a polypropylene glycol and/or a block co-polymer comprises at least one polypropylene glycol block, each featuring a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons.
11. The curable formulation of claim 9 , wherein said multi-functional acrylate is a urethane diacrylate.
12. The curable formulation of claim 9 , wherein said mono-functional amphiphilic acrylate comprises a hydrocarbon chain of at least 6 carbon atoms and at least 2 alkylene glycol groups.
13. The curable formulation of claim 9 , wherein said mono-functional hydrophobic acrylate comprises a hydrocarbon chain of at least 8 carbon atoms.
14. The curable formulation of claim 1 , characterized, when hardened, by at least one of:
Tear Resistance of at least 150 N/m; and
Compression Modulus at least 0.01 MPa.
15. The curable formulation of claim 1 , being devoid of a biological material.
16. The curable formulation of claim 1 , comprising less than 10% by weight water.
17. A formulation system comprising:
the curable formulation of claim 1 ; and
an elastomeric curable formulation comprising at least one elastomeric curable material.
18. The formulation system of claim 17 , wherein said elastomeric curable formulation further comprises silica particles.
19. A kit comprising the formulation system of claim 17 , wherein each of said formulations is packaged individually within the kit.