Fusing agent compositions
Examples of the present disclosure are directed toward fusing agent compositions. An example fusing agent composition includes a radiation absorber, a co-solvent mixture, and a balance of water. In various examples, the radiation absorber is present in an amount ranging from about 0.005 weight percent (wt %) to about 1.0 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.
1 . A jettable fusing agent composition, comprising:
a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.005 weight percent (wt %) to about 1.0 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;
a co-solvent mixture including a first co-solvent and a second co-solvent, wherein the second co-solvent has plasticizing characteristics when interacting with a polymeric build material, the second co-solvent being selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol and diethylene glycol ether; and
a balance of water.
2 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the co-solvent mixture is present in an amount ranging from about 20 wt % to about 80 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition, and the first co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of:
1-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-2-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, and Tripropylene glycol methyl ether.
3 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is a visible-light absorbing colorant, the first co-solvent is to provide miscibility for the second co-solvent with the water, and the second co-solvent is to provide a reduction in a melting point of a build material when the fusing agent composition comes in contact therewith.
4 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is present in the amount ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.75 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition.
5 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , further including a surfactant present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 wt % to about 1.0 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition.
6 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the first co-solvent is present in an amount ranging from 10 wt % to 50 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition; and
the second co-solvent is present in an amount ranging from 10 wt % to 35 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition.
7 . A kit, comprising
a polymeric build material composition; and
a jettable fusing agent composition including:
a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.005 weight percent (wt %) to about 1.0 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;
a first co-solvent;
a second co-solvent, wherein the second co-solvent has plasticizing characteristics when interacting with the polymeric build material composition, the second co-solvent being selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol and diethylene glycol ether; and
a balance of water;
wherein the radiation absorber is a visible-light absorbing colorant.
8 . The kit of claim 7 , wherein the polymeric build material composition comprises a polymeric build material filled with a whitener selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide and TiO 2 .
9 . The kit of claim 7 , wherein the first co-solvent and second co-solvent together are in an amount ranging from about 20 wt % to about 80 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition.
10 . The kit of claim 7 , wherein the visible-light absorbing colorant is selected from a pigment and a dye, and the radiation absorber is to absorb the radiation at the wavelength range and convert the radiation to thermal energy.
11 . A method, comprising:
applying a polymeric build material composition to form a polymeric build material layer;
selectively applying a jettable fusing agent composition on a portion of the polymeric build material layer, the fusing agent composition including:
a radiation absorber present in an amount ranging from about 0.005 weight percent (wt %) to about 1.0 wt % of a total weight of the fusing agent composition, wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at a first wavelength range within the visible light spectrum;
a co-solvent mixture present in an amount ranging from about 20 wt % to about 80 wt % of the total weight of the fusing agent composition, the co-solvent mixture including a first co-solvent and a second co-solvent, wherein the second co-solvent has plasticizing characteristics when interacting with the polymeric build material layer, the second co-solvent being selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol and diethylene glycol ether; and
a balance of water;
wherein the radiation absorber is a visible-light absorbing colorant; and
exposing the applied fusing agent composition and the portion of the build material layer to radiation at a second wavelength range within the visible light spectrum to fuse the portion of the build material layer and to form a white layer of a three-dimensional (3D) part;
wherein the method does not utilize a UV light source.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein exposing the applied fusing agent composition and portion of the build material layer to the radiation includes using a visible light-light source that emits the radiation of the second wavelength range which overlaps with the first wavelength range.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the white layer is selected from a neutral white color and a near-neutral white color, and has coordinates of lightness (L*), red/green (a*), and yellow/blue (b*) in amounts ranging from:
about 80 L* to about 100 L*;
about −3 a* to about 3 a*; and
about −5 b* to about 5 b*.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein in response to exposing the applied fusing agent composition to the radiation of the second wavelength range, the method comprises:
absorbing the radiation of the second wavelength range that overlaps with the first wavelength range and converting the radiation to thermal energy by the radiation absorber; and
in response to the thermal energy, melting and fusing the polymeric build material layer, wherein a melting point of the polymeric build material composition is reduced by the second co-solvent.
15 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at the wavelength range between about 380 nanometers (nm) and about 780 nm.
16 . The kit of claim 7 , wherein the radiation absorber absorbs radiation at the wavelength range between about 380 nanometers (nm) and about 780 nm.
17 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is devoid of a UV radiation absorber.
18 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is devoid of tungsten bronze.
19 . The jettable fusing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the radiation absorber is a visible-light absorbing colorant selected from the group consisting of Direct Black (DB) 168, Acid Yellow (AY) 23, AY 17, Acid Red (AR) 52, AR 289, Reactive Red 180 (RR 180), Direct Blue (DB) 199, Pigment Blue (PB) 15:3, Pigment Red (PR) 122, Pigment Yellow (PY) 155, and PY 74.