AQUEOUS ULTRAVIOLET FUSING AGENTS FOR COLORLESS THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTED PARTS
In example implementations, a three-dimensional printing kit for printing a colorless three-dimensional object in a three-dimensional printing system is provided. The three-dimensional printing kit includes a build material and an aqueous ultraviolet (UV) fusing agent. The aqueous UV fusing agent includes water in greater than 50 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent and a UV absorber cyclodextrin complex.
1 . A three-dimensional printing kit, comprising:
a build material; and
an aqueous ultraviolet (UV) fusing agent, comprising:
water in greater than 50 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent; and
a UV absorber cyclodextrin complex.
2 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 1 , wherein a UV absorber of the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex comprises avobenzone.
3 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 1 , wherein a cyclodextrin of the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex comprises β-cyclodextrin.
4 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 3 , wherein the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex with β-cyclodextrin comprises 1-2 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent.
5 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 1 , wherein a cyclodextrin of the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex comprises hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin.
6 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 5 , wherein the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex with hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin comprises 1-15 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent.
7 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 1 , wherein the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex is dissolved in the water.
8 . The three-dimensional printing kit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous UV fusing agent, further comprises:
a surfactant;
a first plasticizer co-solvent; and
a second solubilizing co-solvent.
9 . A three-dimensional printing system, comprising:
a powder bed comprising a layer of build material;
an aqueous ultraviolet (UV) fusing agent applicator fluidly coupled to a supply of an aqueous UV fusing agent, wherein the aqueous UV fusing agent applicator is to iteratively apply the aqueous UV fusing agent to the layer of build material, wherein the aqueous UV fusing agent comprises water in greater than 50 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent and a UV absorber cyclodextrin complex; and
a fusing lamp positioned to emit UV light to heat the powder bed to a fusing temperature.
10 . The three-dimensional printing system of claim 9 , wherein a wavelength of the UV light is between 320 nanometers (nm) to 400 nm.
11 . The three-dimensional printing system of claim 9 , wherein the UV absorber cyclodextrin complex comprises an avobenzone β-cyclodextrin complex or an avobenzone hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin complex.
12 . The three-dimensional printing system of claim 9 , wherein the aqueous UV fusing agent, further comprises:
a first solvent to provide a polymer plasticizer;
a second solvent that is water miscible;
a surfactant; and
an additional solubilizer.
13 . A method of printing a colorless three-dimensional object, comprising:
selectively applying an aqueous ultraviolet (UV) fusing agent onto a build material, wherein the aqueous UV fusing agent, comprises water in greater than 50 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent and an avobenzone cyclodextrin complex; and
heating the build material and the aqueous UV fusing agent that is selectively applied with a UV light to fuse a layer of the colorless three-dimensional object.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the avobenzone cyclodextrin complex comprises 1-15 weight percent of the aqueous UV fusing agent.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the selectively applying the aqueous UV fusing agent and the heating the build material and aqueous UV fusing agent are repeated for a plurality of layers of the colorless three-dimensional object until printing of the colorless three-dimensional printed object is completed.