Copolycarbonate Support Material for High-Temperature FDM Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing technologies face challenges in finding suitable support materials for FDM that are stable at high temperatures and can be easily removed without damaging the printed object, especially when used with materials like PEEK that have high processing temperatures, as existing support materials often require mechanical removal or alkaline solutions which can be detrimental to the printed material.
Innovation Solution
The use of high-temperature stable copolycarbonates with a Vicat temperature above 150°C, specifically those containing monomer units like bisphenol A and bisphenol TMC, which can be dissolved using solvents like THF, allowing for the removal of support material without damaging the printed object and maintaining the integrity of the printed material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional support materials (PEEK, PES, polyetherimide) are used for high-temperature FDM printing, then the support material is stable at high processing temperatures, but it requires mechanical removal which is time-consuming and damages the printed object
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the support material by using copolycarbonates with specific monomer units ( formulas (1a), (1b), (1c), (1d), or (1e)) and controlled glass transition temperatures (80-150°C) and melting temperatures (180-250°C). This parameter change enables the material to be dissolved in specific solvents (methylene chloride, toluene, xylene, THF, dioxane) while maintaining high-temperature stability during printing, thereby resolving the contradiction between thermal stability and ease of removal.
2Ease of manufacture
If soluble support materials (HIPS, PVA) are used for low-temperature printing materials, then the support material can be easily removed by dissolution, but it is not suitable for high-temperature printing materials like PEEK
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite material system where copolycarbonate support material is specifically designed to work with high-temperature printing materials. The copolycarbonate combines the solubility characteristics needed for easy removal with the thermal stability required for high-temperature processing, effectively bridging the gap between soluble support materials and high-temperature applications.
3Ease of manufacture
If the melting temperature difference between support material and printing material is too high, then the support material can be easily removed, but the already printed material with lower melting temperature would partially melt again causing strong adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the melting temperature parameter of the support material (180-250°C) to be close to that of common printing materials. This parameter optimization ensures that during printing, both materials remain stable without unwanted remelting, yet the support material can still be selectively dissolved afterward, resolving the contradiction between adhesion strength and removal ease.
4Ease of manufacture
If mechanical removal of support material is used, then the support material can be removed, but the process is time-consuming and results in rough surfaces with damaged edges
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical removal system with a chemical dissolution system. Instead of using mechanical tools to physically remove support material, the invention enables chemical dissolution using specific solvents that selectively dissolve the copolycarbonate support material without affecting the printed object, thereby eliminating surface damage and improving manufacturing precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of 3D objects with high heat resistance by using copolycarbonates as support materials that can be easily dissolved, ensuring the printed material's properties are preserved and facilitating the creation of complex geometries without mechanical support removal, thus improving the efficiency and quality of the 3D printing process.
Implementation Method 1
the support material is a composition based on a copolycarbonate... wherein a solvent is used to remove the support material
Implementation Method 2
The shrinkage of both materials should be comparable... copolycarbonates used according to the invention have a Vicat temperature of at least 150°C
Implementation Method 3
The melted printing material... is usually applied by extrusion using a nozzle, followed by the material curing by cooling at the desired position
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the use of copolycarbonates stable at high temperature as a supporting material in the FDM (fused deposition modeling) method, said copolycarbonates having a Vicat temperature determined in accordance with ISO 306:2013 of at least 150°C. Polyester, polyamide, PC/polyester blend, and/or polyaryl ether ketone is used as a printing material. Used as copolycarbonates are copolycarbonates containing one or more monomer units selected from the group consisting of the structural units of general formulas (1a), (1b), (1c), (1d), in which R1 represents hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 represents C1 to C4 alkyl, n represents 0, 1, 2, or 3, and R3 represents C1 to C4 alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl, and/or containing one or more monomer units of formula (1e), in which R19 represents hydrogen, Cl, Br, or a C1 to C4 alkyl residue, R17 and R18 are the same or different and represent, independently of each other, an aryl residue, a C1 to C10 alkyl residue, or a C1 to C10 alkylaryl residue, and wherein X is a single bond, -CO-, -O-, a C1 to C6 alkylene residue, a C2 to C5 alkylidene residue, a C5 to C12 cycloalkylidene residue, or a C6 to C12 arylene residue, which optionally can be condensed with further aromatic rings that contain heteroatoms, n is a number from 1 to 500, m is a number from 1 to 10, and p is 0 or 1.