High-Performance Consumable Materials for Electrophotography-Based Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

A part material for printing three-dimensional parts with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material including a composition having a high-performance thermoplastic material and a charge control agent. The part material is provided in a powder form having a controlled particle size, and is configured for use in the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having a layer transfusion assembly for printing the three-dimensional parts in a layer-by-layer manner.

1 . A part material for printing three-dimensional parts with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material comprising:
 a composition comprising:
 a thermoplastic material having a heat deflection temperature greater than about 150° C.; and 
 a charge control agent; 
   wherein the part material is provided in a powder form having a D50 particle size ranging from about 5 micrometers to about 30 micrometers; and   wherein the part material is configured for use in the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having a layer transfusion assembly for printing the three-dimensional parts in a layer-by-layer manner.   
     
     
         2 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a heat absorber, wherein the heat absorber constitutes from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material. 
     
     
         3 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the D50 particle size ranges from about 10 micrometers to about 20 micrometers. 
     
     
         4 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the powder form also has a D90/D50 particle size distribution and a D50/D10 particle size distribution each ranging from about 1.00 to about 1.40. 
     
     
         5 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the charge control agent is selected from the group consisting of chromium oxy carboxylic acid complexes, zinc oxy carboxylic acid complexes, aluminum oxy carboxylic acid complexes, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the charge control agent constitutes from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the part material. 
     
     
         7 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a flow control agent constituting from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material. 
     
     
         8 . The part material of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises a polyaryletherketone, a fluorinated thermoplastic, a polyphenylsulfone, a polyethersulfone, a polyetherimide, a polyimide, copolymers thereof, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The part material of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises the polyaryletherketone, and wherein the polyaryletherketone comprises polyetherketone (PEK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetherketoneketone (PEKEKK), or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The part material of  claim 9 , wherein the polyetherarylketone comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK). 
     
     
         11 . The part material of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic material has a backbone chain that includes a structure comprising: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . The part material of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic material has a backbone chain that includes a structure comprising: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         13 . A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system having an electrophotography engine, a transfer medium, and a layer transfusion assembly, the method comprising:
 providing a part material to the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, the part material compositionally comprising a charge control agent, and a thermoplastic material having a heat deflection temperature greater than about 150° C., and has a powder form;   triboelectrically charging the part material to a Q/M ratio having a negative charge or a positive charge, and a magnitude ranging from about 5 micro-Coulombs/gram to about 50 micro-Coulombs/gram;   developing layers of the three-dimensional part from the charged part material with the electrophotography engine;   electrostatically attracting the developed layers from the electrophotography engine to the transfer medium;   moving the attracted layers to the layer transfusion assembly with the transfer medium; and   transfusing the moved layers to previously-printed layers of the three-dimensional part with the layer transfusion assembly.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the powder form of the part material has a D50 particle size ranging from about 5 micrometers to about 30 micrometers, and a D90/D50 particle size distribution and a D50/D10 particle size distribution each ranging from about 1.00 to about 1.40. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the charge control agent constitutes from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight of the part material, and wherein the heat absorber constitutes from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the part material further comprises a flow control agent constituting from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight of the part material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises a polyaryletherketone, a fluorinated thermoplastic, a polyphenylsulfone, a polyethersulfone, a polyetherimide, a polyimide, copolymers thereof, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises the polyaryletherketone, and wherein the polyaryletherketone comprises polyetherketone (PEK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketoneketone (PEEKK), polyetherketoneetherketoneketone (PEKEKK), or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the thermoplastic material has a backbone chain that includes a structure comprising: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the thermoplastic material has a backbone chain that includes a structure comprising: