Two-Component Mass Polymerizable Compositions for High-Temperature 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing materials lack the ability to rapidly cure at higher temperatures while maintaining desirable thermal and mechanical properties, and they are often unstable at temperatures above 200°C, limiting their application in producing high-resolution, industrially useful 3D objects with fine structural details.
Innovation Solution
A two-component composition comprising a latent organoruthenium carbide catalyst and a photoactive or thermoactive acid generator, which undergoes mass polymerization under photolytic or thermolytic conditions, forming 3D objects with high thermal and mechanical properties, such as high glass transition temperatures, impact strength, and low shrinkage, without requiring additional solvents or small molecule additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional 3D printing materials are used, then they can be processed at ambient conditions, but they become unstable at temperatures above 200°C and cannot maintain desirable thermal and mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the 3D printing material by using polycycloolefin monomers with specific ring structures (norbornene, dicyclopentadiene) that inherently provide thermal stability. The materials are designed to maintain their chemical integrity and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures above 200°C, resolving the contradiction between processability and thermal stability.
2Productivity
If mass polymerization is used to rapidly cure the composition, then high productivity is achieved, but the composition requires photolytic or thermolytic activation conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates latent organoruthenium carbide catalysts and photoactive/thermoactive acid generators into the composition in advance. These pre-loaded components remain dormant until activated by appropriate stimuli (light or heat), enabling rapid mass polymerization only when needed. This preliminary preparation allows the material to be stored stably and then cured rapidly on demand, resolving the contradiction between fast curing and ease of manufacture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional solvents or small molecule additives are used to achieve desired properties, then material flexibility is improved, but the composition becomes more complex and requires further processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additional solvents and small molecule additives by designing a self-sufficient two-component system. The organoruthenium carbide catalyst and photoactive/thermoactive acid generator work together with the polycycloolefin monomers to achieve all desired properties (viscosity, curability, thermal stability, mechanical properties) without requiring fugitive small molecules. This simplification resolves the contradiction between material flexibility and composition complexity.
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
The composition enables the rapid formation of 3D objects with improved thermal and mechanical properties, stability at ambient conditions, and low viscosity, allowing for the creation of objects with structural details below 50 μm and sizes greater than 10 inches, suitable for various 3D printing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
mass polymerizable polycycloolefin monomers... undergo mass polymerization to form solid objects
Implementation Method 2
activated under photolytic (or thermolytic) conditions
Implementation Method 3
activated under photolytic (or thermolytic) conditions
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass a two component composition containing in one component a latent organo-ruthenium carbide catalyst, and in another component a photoactive acid generator or a thermally active acid generator, and either of the components containing a mixture of photoactive compound along with one or more monomers which undergo ring open metathesis polymerization (ROMP) when said components are mixed together and exposed to a suitable radiation (or heat) to form a three-dimensional (3D) object. The three-dimensional objects so formed exhibits improved mechanical properties, particularly, high heat distortion temperature, impact strength, elongation to break, among others. Accordingly, compositions of this invention are useful as 3D inkjet materials for forming high impact strength objects of various sizes with microscale features lower than 100 microns, among various other uses.