Imide Polymer Filaments for Sacrificial Support in Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing processes, particularly fused filament fabrication, face challenges in producing parts with overhangs due to the lack of a support structure, as existing sacrificial printing materials are either slow to remove or require costly organic solvents, leading to incomplete separation and potential swelling of the build material.
Innovation Solution
The use of polymer filaments comprising imide polymers that are at least partially soluble in aqueous fluids, allowing for the formation of a removable support structure that can be easily dissolved using an alkaline aqueous solution, facilitating the production of unsupported parts with overhangs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional sacrificial printing materials (polyvinyl alcohol, high-impact polystyrene) are used, then support structures can be formed for overhangs, but the removal process is slow and incomplete, and organic solvents are required which are costly and cause build material swelling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the sacrificial material by using imide polymers with specific functional groups that confer water solubility. This parameter change enables rapid removal in aqueous environments without requiring organic solvents, directly resolving the contradiction between removal speed and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The imide polymer sacrificial material is designed to be inexpensive and single-use, easily dissolved in water after serving its support function. This eliminates the need for expensive organic solvents and enables complete, rapid removal, addressing both the productivity and time loss issues.
2Manufacturing precision
If organic solvents are used to remove sacrificial material, then complete separation can be achieved, but the solvents are costly and promote swelling of the build material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary removal medium instead of organic solvents. The imide polymer is specifically designed to be water-soluble, allowing complete separation from the build material without using harmful organic solvents that cause swelling. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction between separation completeness and harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the typically harmful effect of solvents causing swelling into a benefit by selecting water as the removal medium. Water is non-swelling for most build materials and is already present in the printing environment, turning a potential harm into a beneficial, harmless removal process that achieves complete separation.
3Ease of operation
If polyvinyl alcohol is used as sacrificial material, then water solubility is achieved, but the material has limited structural integrity for supporting overhangs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material design by combining imide polymers with reinforcing fillers or creating crosslinked networks within the polymer matrix. This composite approach maintains water solubility for easy removal while providing the structural integrity needed to support overhangs during printing, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and strength.
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 rapid and complete removal of the sacrificial support, improving the throughput and quality of parts by avoiding the use of costly solvents and minimizing build material distortion.
Implementation Method 1
polymer filaments comprising an aqueous-soluble imide polymer... at least partially soluble in an aqueous fluid... easily dissolved using an alkaline aqueous solution
Data Source
AI summary
When making parts by additive manufacturing, particularly by fused filament fabrication, it is sometimes necessary to include a removable support during part fabrication due to the shape of the part. An overhang, for instance, may be fabricated using a support structure, which is subsequently eliminated following polymer matrix consolidation. Elimination of a removable support following part fabrication may be problematic in some instances. Polymer filaments suitable for forming removable supports during additive manufacturing may comprise at least one imide polymer having at least partial solubility in aqueous fluids. Imide polymers may include, for example, polyimides and polyesterimides. Additive manufacturing processes may comprise forming a supported part by depositing a build material and a removable support comprising an imide polymer, wherein at least a portion of the build material is deposited upon the removable support. An unsupported part may be formed following exposure of the supported part to an aqueous fluid.