Polycarbonate Additive Manufacturing Flowability via Diglycerol Esters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing additive manufacturing methods face challenges in processing filled and high molecular weight polycarbonate-based materials due to their limited flowability, which affects the reproducibility of complex structures and dimensional stability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating diglycerol esters as flow auxiliaries in the polycarbonate formulation, allowing for improved flowability in both injection molding and extrusion-based additive manufacturing processes, enabling the use of injection molding type formulations in extrusion-based methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If filled and high molecular weight polycarbonate-based materials are used in additive manufacturing, then structural integrity and mechanical properties are improved, but flowability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polycarbonate material by incorporating specific additives (ethylene bisstearyl disulfide as crosslinking agent and peroxide initiators) to modify the rheological properties. This allows high molecular weight polycarbonate to achieve both improved structural integrity through crosslinking and adequate flowability during processing by controlling the timing and mechanism of molecular network formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining polycarbonate base resin with crosslinking agents and initiators. This composite formulation enables the material to exhibit both good flow characteristics during extrusion (before crosslinking activates) and enhanced structural integrity after crosslinking occurs, effectively resolving the contradiction between processability and final property performance.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If injection molding type formulations are used in extrusion-based additive manufacturing, then flowability is improved, but dimensional stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies crosslinking agents and initiators to the polycarbonate formulation in advance, but the actual crosslinking reaction occurs during or after the extrusion process. This preliminary preparation allows the material to maintain injection molding-type flowability during extrusion while subsequently developing the dimensional stability of crosslinked structures, effectively decoupling the processing and final property requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition from uncrosslinked to crosslinked state as a temporal separation mechanism. During the extrusion phase, the material remains in a uncrosslinked state with good flowability similar to injection molding formulations. After deposition, the crosslinking reaction activates, transforming the material into a dimensionally stable network structure, thus achieving both flowability and dimensional stability at different process stages.
3Strength
If crosslinking is applied to improve structural integrity, then mechanical properties are enhanced, but processing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates crosslinking agents and initiators into the formulation during the compounding stage, but the actual crosslinking reaction is triggered only after extrusion. This preliminary incorporation without immediate reaction allows the material to be processed like conventional thermoplastics while subsequently achieving crosslinked structural integrity, effectively eliminating processing difficulty while maintaining mechanical property enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the activation parameters of crosslinking by selecting initiators with specific decomposition temperatures and controlling the thermal history during extrusion and post-processing. This parameter control ensures that crosslinking occurs at the appropriate stage (after deposition), avoiding processing difficulties during extrusion while achieving the desired mechanical property enhancement in the final part.
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 use of diglycerol esters enhances the melt volume flow rate and modulus of elasticity, improving the processing and rheological properties of polycarbonate-based materials, leading to better flowability and structural integrity in additive manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
The construction material comprises 0.01% by weight to 3.0% by weight of at least one flow auxiliary selected from the group of the diglycerol esters
Implementation Method 2
applying a filament of an at least partly molten construction material to a carrier
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing an object by means of a fused deposition modeling method (FDM), from a construction material, wherein the construction material comprises a polycarbonate and a di-glycerol ester. The invention also relates to the use of a polycarbonate with improved flowability comprising a diglycerol as construction material in an additive fused deposition modeling method.