COMPOSITION FOR USE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one polymer system and at least one anti-agglomeration agent, the polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the bulk density of the composition being more than 300 g/I. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing the composition according to the invention and its use.

Claims

1. A composition comprising (a) at least one polymer system and (b) at least one anti-agglomeration agent, the polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the thermoplastic polymer being selected from polyetherimide, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyether sulfone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamide imide and/or polyolefin, and the bulk density of the composition being at least 300 g/l, and/or the bulk density being up to about 550 g/l.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein a first anti-agglomeration agent comprises silicon dioxide, and wherein the particles of the first anti-agglomeration agent are modified with at least one hydrophobizing agent based on at least one organosilane.

3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein a second anti-agglomeration agent comprises silicon dioxide, and wherein the particles of the second anti-agglomeration agent are modified with at least one hydrophobizing agent based on at least one organosilane.

4. The composition according to claim 2, wherein the particles of the first anti-agglomeration agent are modified with a first hydrophobizing agent which is selected from alkoxysilane, silazane and/or siloxane.

5. The composition according to claim 3, wherein the particles of the second anti-agglomeration agent are modified with a second hydrophobizing agent which is selected from alkoxysilane, silazane and/or siloxane.

6. The composition according to claim 5, wherein the particles of the first and/or the second anti-agglomeration agent are functionalized with amino, amide and/or quaternary ammonium end groups.

7. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second anti-agglomeration agent have a weight ratio of at least about 1:1.

8. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-agglomeration agent has in total a proportion by weight of the composition of at least about 0.01%, and/or wherein the proportion by weight of the at least one anti-agglomeration agent is in total at most about 1%.

9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-agglomeration agent has a BET surface area of at least about 200 m.sup.2/g, and/or wherein the BET surface area of the at least one anti-agglomeration agent is at most about 350 m.sup.2/g.

10. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-agglomeration agent has an average diameter of the agglomerate particles d50 of at least about 100 nm, and/or wherein the average diameter of the agglomerate particles d50 is at most about 500 nm.

11. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the particles d50 of the at least one polymer system to the average diameter of the agglomerate particles d50 of the at least one anti-agglomeration agent has a ratio of at least about 100:1, and/or wherein the ratio of the average diameter of the particles d50 of the at least one polymer system to the average diameter of the agglomerate particles d50 of the at least one anti-agglomeration agent is at most about 5000:1.

12. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer system comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.

13. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the composition, is at least about 100 C. and/or at most about 200 C.

14. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition has a tensile strength of at least about 5 MPa, and/or at most about 150 MPa, and an elongation at break of at least about 1%.

15. The composition according to claim 1, wherein at least one additive is added to the composition as a further components.

16. A method of producing a composition according to claim 1, the method comprising the following steps: (i) providing at least one polymer system, the at least one polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the thermoplastic polymer being selected from polyetherimide, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyether sulfone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene acrylate copolymer (ASA), polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamideimide and/or polyolefin, (ii) adding a first anti-agglomeration agent, and (iii) mixing the at least one polymer system with the first anti-agglomeration agent.

17. A production method for producing a three-dimensional object by applying layers and selectively solidifying a construction material, having the steps: (i) providing the construction material produced by a method according to claim 16, (ii) applying a layer of the construction material to a construction field, (iii) selectively solidifying the applied layer of the construction material at locations which correspond to a cross section of the object to be produced, and (iv) lowering the carrier and repeating the steps of applying and solidifying until the three-dimensional object is completed.

18. A composition comprising: (a) at least one polymer system and (b) at least one anti-agglomeration agent, the polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the thermoplastic polymer being selected from polyetherimide, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyether sulfone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamide imide and/or polyolefin, and the bulk density of the composition being at least 300 g/l, and/or the bulk density being up to about 550 g/l, the composition being obtainable by a method according to claim 16.

19. A composition comprising: (a) at least one polymer system and (b) at least one anti-agglomeration agent, the polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the thermoplastic polymer being selected from polyetherimide, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyether sulfone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamide imide and/or polyolefin, and the bulk density of the composition being at least 300 g/l, and/or the bulk density being up to about 550 g/l, the article being obtainable by a method according to claim 17.

20. A composition comprising: (a) at least one polymer system and (b) at least one anti-agglomeration agent, the polymer system being selected from at least one thermoplastic polymer, the thermoplastic polymer being selected from polyetherimide, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyether sulfone, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate copolymer (ASA), polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylate, polyester, polyamide, polyaryl ether ketone, polyether, polyurethane, polyimide, polyamide imide and/or polyolefin, and the bulk density of the composition being at least 300 g/l, and/or the bulk density being up to about 550 g/l, the composition being implemented in additive manufacturing processes.

21. A use of a composition which has been produced by a method according to claim 16, as a solidifiable powder material in a method for the layer-by-layer production of a three-dimensional object from powdery material, in which successive layers of the object to be formed from this solidifiable powder material are successively solidified at corresponding locations by the input of energy.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0096] Production of a Composition According to the Invention:

[0097] 0.15% by weight of the anti-agglomeration agent (Aerosil R 812, Evonik, Germany, based on the final weight of the composition to be produced) are sieved through a vibrating sieve (Retsch, mesh size 245 m) and then mixed in with 100 g of the polymer system (Elastollan EXP SP 9415, BASF) for 5 to 20 minutes a tumble mixer (Turbula type T2F, Willy A. Bachofen AG, 70 to 80 rpm). The mixture is then mixed in over a period of about 5 to 20 minutes to 2 kg of the polymer system in a concrete mixer (BM 140, Atika GmbH, inclination angle 30) and then packaged in cardboard boxes having internal film sacks.

Example 2

[0098] A composition according to the invention is produced in the same way as in Example 1, except that a first mixture of a polymer (Elastollan EXP SP 9415) with a first anti-agglomeration agent (HDK H20, Wacker Chemie, Germany) is produced in the manner described above and in a second step a mixture of a second anti-agglomeration agent (Aerosil R 812, Evonik, Germany) with a polymer (Elastollan EXP SP 9415) is produced in the manner described above. The first mixture is then mixed into the total amount of the polymer (Elastollan EXP SP 9415) analogously to Example 1. The second mixture is then also mixed into the polymer and packaged (as described in Example 1). The final concentration of the first anti-agglomeration agent in the overall mixture in this case is 0.05% by weight, the final concentration of the second anti-agglomeration agent is 0.15% by weight.

Example 3

[0099] The bulk density of the composition according to the invention according to Examples 1 and 2 is determined below using a device according to DIN EN ISO 60: 2000-01.

[0100] A funnel is vertically attached with its lower opening 20 to 30 mm above a measuring cylinder (volume: 100 ml, inner diameter 455 mm, with polished inner surface) so that it coincides with its axis and that of the measuring cylinder.

[0101] 110 to 120 ml of the composition according to the invention (according to Example 1 or Example 2) are passed through the funnel, wherein the lower opening of which is closed by a metal plate. The metal plate is then opened quickly so that the composition according to the invention flows into the measuring cylinder. The excess of the composition according to the invention is stripped off the measuring cylinder with a rod and the measuring cylinder is then weighed on a balance (Kern, Germany) taking into account its tare. The bulk densities determined here are shown in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Determined bulk densities of the compositions according to the invention composition according to the invention Bulk density [g/l] Example 1: 496 g/l Example 2: 509 g/l