A system treats uneven surfaces of additive manufactured objects to improve the transparency and glossiness of the surfaces. The system operates a sprayer to apply fluid material used to form the uneven surface to the uneven surface to smooth the surface or the system operates an actuator to dip the additive manufactured object into a bath of fluid material that is the same as the material used to form the uneven surface to smooth the surface. A heater is provided to dry non-UV curable material applied to the uneven surface and a source of UV radiation is provided to cure UV curable material applied to the uneven surface.

A system for removing soluble support material from a prototype part may include a container for receiving the prototype part. A pump may be in fluid communication with the container and may be configured to pump a solution into the container and out of the container. A flow control subsystem may control a rate of flow of the solution into the container and out of the container.

A method of forming a bathtub includes forming a core from a core material, coupling the core to a bathtub shell, applying a reinforcing material to the bathtub shell over the core to form a reinforcement structure, forming one or more openings in the bathtub shell, and substantially removing the core from between the bathtub shell and the reinforcement structure to define one or more fluid channels of the bathtub.

In an example of a surface treatment method, a three-dimensionally printed polyamide object is used. In the surface treatment method, the three-dimensionally printed polyamide object is first exposed to benzyl alcohol. In the surface treatment method, the three-dimensionally printed polyamide object is exposed to microwave irradiation after the benzyl alcohol exposure.

Disclosed herein are methods of forming a three-dimensional object having a biodegradable or bioerodible polymer or copolymer. In some embodiments, the methods include providing a dual cure resin with a photoinitiator, monomers and/or prepolymers that are polymerizable by exposure to actinic radiation or light, at least one cyclic ester, a ring-opening polymerization initiator, and a ring-opening polymerization catalyst. Resins useful for carrying out such methods, and products produced from such methods, are also described.

3D-printed parts may include binding agents to be removed following an additive manufacturing process. A debinding process removes the binding agents by immersing the part in a solvent bath causing chemical dissolution of the binding agents. The time of exposure of the 3D-printed part to the solvent is determined based on the geometry of the part, wherein the geometry is applied to predict the diffusion of the solvent through the 3D-printed part. The 3D-printed part is then immersed in the solvent bath to remove the binding agent, and is removed from the solvent bath after the time of exposure.

3D-printed parts may include binding agents to be removed following an additive manufacturing process. A debinding process removes the binding agents by immersing the part in a solvent bath causing chemical dissolution of the binding agents. The time of exposure of the 3D-printed part to the solvent is determined based on the geometry of the part, wherein the geometry is applied to predict the diffusion of the solvent through the 3D-printed part. The 3D-printed part is then immersed in the solvent bath to remove the binding agent, and is removed from the solvent bath after the time of exposure.

A debinder provides for debinding printed green parts in an additive manufacturing system. The debinder can include a storage chamber, a process chamber, a distill chamber, a waste chamber, and a condenser. The storage chamber stores a liquid solvent for debinding the green part. The process chamber debinds the green part using a volume of the liquid solvent transferred from the storage chamber. The distill chamber collects a solution drained from the process chamber and produces a solvent vapor from the solution. The condenser condenses the solvent vapor to the liquid solvent and transfer the liquid solvent to the storage chamber. The waste chamber collects a waste component of the solution.

A debinder provides for debinding printed green parts in an additive manufacturing system. The debinder can include a storage chamber, a process chamber, a distill chamber, a waste chamber, and a condenser. The storage chamber stores a liquid solvent for debinding the green part. The process chamber debinds the green part using a volume of the liquid solvent transferred from the storage chamber. The distill chamber collects a solution drained from the process chamber and produces a solvent vapor from the solution. The condenser condenses the solvent vapor to the liquid solvent and transfer the liquid solvent to the storage chamber. The waste chamber collects a waste component of the solution.

The invention concerns a biaxially orientated, single- or multi-layered porous film which comprises at least one porous layer and this layer contains at least one propylene polymer and polyethylene; (i) the porosity of the porous film is 30% to 80%; and (ii) the permeability of the porous film is <1000 s (Gurley number);

characterized in that (iii) the porous film comprises an inorganic, preferably ceramic coating; and (iv) the coated porous film has a Gurley number of <1500 s; and (v) the coated porous film has a Gurley number of >6000 s when it is heated for 5 minutes to over 140 C.

The coated, porous film has dual safety features. Furthermore, the invention also concerns a process for the production of a film of this type as well as its use in high energy or high performance systems, in particular in lithium, lithium ion, lithium-polymer and alkaline-earth batteries.