Kit for three-dimensional printing
A kit for three-dimensional (3D) printing is described. The kit comprises a build material composition: a fusing agent composition including a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 2.0 wt % of a total weight of the fusing agent composition, wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at a wavelength range within the visible light spectrum; and a fusing assist composition including a first co-solvent; a second co-solvent; and a balance of water.
1 . A kit for three-dimensional (3D) printing, the kit comprising:
a build material composition;
a fusing agent composition including:
a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 2.0 wt % of a total weight of the fusing agent composition, wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at a wavelength range within the visible light spectrum; and
a fusing assist composition consisting of:
a first co-solvent that is a plasticizing solvent;
a second co-solvent;
optionally an additive selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a buffer, a biocide, and a combination thereof; and
a balance of water.
2 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is a visible-light absorbing colorant selected from the group consisting of a pigment and a dye, and wherein the radiation absorber is to absorb the radiation at the wavelength range and convert the radiation to thermal energy.
3 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is present in an amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition.
4 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is carbon black.
5 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the plasticizing solvent is selected from the group consisting of poly(trimethylene glycol), benzyl alcohol (BnOH), and diethylene glycol butyl ether (DEGBE).
6 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the second co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl pyrrolidone (HE2P), 1,5-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 2-pyrrolidinonetriethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, diethylene glycol butyl ether, 1,2-propanediol, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, hexylene glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropyleneglycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, and ethylene glycol dibutyl ether.
7 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the first co-solvent is present in an amount ranging from 5 wt % to 25 wt % of the total weight of the fusing assist composition, and wherein the second co-solvent is present in an amount ranging from 30 wt % to 70 wt % of the total weight of the fusing assist composition.
8 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the build material composition comprises a polymeric build material or a polymeric composite build material.
9 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the build material composition comprises a polymeric build material, and wherein the polymeric build material is selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoxomethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyester, polyurethanes, and copolymers thereof.
10 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the build material composition comprises a build material and a whitener selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide and TiO 2 .
11 . A method of three-dimensional (3D) printing, the method comprising:
applying a build material composition to form a build material layer;
selectively applying a fusing agent composition on a portion of the build material layer, the fusing agent composition including:
a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 2.0 wt % of a total weight of the fusing agent composition, wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at a wavelength range within the visible light spectrum;
selectively applying a fusing assist composition on the portion of the build material layer, the fusing assist composition consisting of:
a first co-solvent that is a plasticizing solvent;
a second co-solvent;
optionally an additive selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a buffer, a biocide, and a combination thereof; and
a balance of water; and
exposing the applied fusing agent and fusing assist compositions and the portion of the build material layer to radiation at the wavelength range within the visible light spectrum to fuse the portion of the build material layer and to form a layer of a 3D part.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the fusing agent composition is selectively applied such that the build material layer comprises the radiation absorber in an amount ranging from about 0.0001 wt % to about 0.1 wt %.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the fusing agent composition and the fusing assist composition are applied in a ratio of from 4:6 to 1:25.