Materials for powder-based additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A multi-component micro-pellet useful as a consumable material for making objects by powder based additive manufacturing is disclosed. A method of making said micro-pellet is also disclosed. An object made by using said micro-pellets is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A consumable micro-pellet for use in a powder-based additive manufacturing system, the consumable micro-pellet comprising at least two distinct components. 
     
     
         2 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two distinct components are two distinct compositional components. 
     
     
         3 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 1 , wherein the two distinct components are two distinct structural components. 
     
     
         4 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 1 , wherein the two distinct components comprise distinct mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermodynamic, processing, aesthetic or biocompatibility properties. 
     
     
         5 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two distinct components comprises a first component comprising a first thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 5 , wherein the first thermoplastic material comprises a first semi-crystalline polymeric material selected from a group of semi-crystalline polymers consisting of polyamides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyetheretherketones, olyoxymethylene acetals, polytetrafluoroethylenes, polypheneylene sulfides, polybutylene terephthalates, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 5 , wherein the first thermoplastic material comprises a first polyamide material selected from a group of polyamide polymers consisting of nylon 6, nylon 6-6, nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, nylon 10, nylon 10-10, nylon 11, nylon 12, copolymers thereof and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 5 , wherein the at least two distinct components comprises a second component comprising a second thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         9 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 8 , wherein the second thermoplastic material comprises a second semi-crystalline polymeric material selected from a group of semi-crystalline polymers consisting of polyamides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyetheretherketones, olyoxymethylene acetals, polytetrafluoroethylenes, polypheneylene sulfides, polybutylene terephthalates, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 8 , wherein the second thermoplastic material comprises a second polyamide material selected from a group of polyamide polymers consisting of aliphatic nylon 6, nylon 6-6, nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, nylon 10, nylon 10-10, nylon 11, nylon 12, copolymers thereof and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 5 , wherein the at least two distinct components comprises a second component comprising an additive, a modifiers, or a plastic reinforcement material. 
     
     
         12 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 4 , wherein the at least two distinct structural components form a micro-pellet geometry selected from the group consisting of a shell-core geometry, an island in the sea geometry, a wedge geometry, a wedge with hollow core geometry, a stripe geometry, a concerted rings geometry, a snow flake geometry and a logo fibers geometry. 
     
     
         13 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 1 , further characterized by the first thermoplastic material being a first semi-crystalline polymeric material having a first peak crystallization temperature, and wherein the second thermoplastic material is a second semi-crystalline polymeric material having a second peak crystallization temperature that is greater than the first peak crystallization temperature. 
     
     
         14 . A consumable micro-pellet for use in a powder-based additive manufacturing system, the consumable micro-pellet having an average cross-sectional diameter ranging from 10 microns to 250 microns. 
     
     
         15 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 14 , wherein the consumable micro-pellet is configured to be melted and used to form a plurality of solidified layers of a three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         16 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 14 , further comprising a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         17 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises a semi-crystalline polymeric material selected from a group of semi-crystalline polymers consisting of polyamides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyetheretherketones, olyoxymethylene acetals, polytetrafluoroethylenes, polypheneylene sulfides, polybutylene terephthalates, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises a polyamide material selected from a group of polyamide polymers consisting of nylon 6, nylon 6-6, nylon 6-10, nylon 6-12, nylon 10, nylon 10-10, nylon 11, nylon 12, copolymers thereof and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The consumable micro-pellet of  claim 16 , wherein the consumable micro-pellet further comprises an additive, a modifiers, or a plastic reinforcement material. 
     
     
         20 . A three-dimensional object built with a powder-based additive manufacturing system, the three dimensional object comprising a plurality of solidified layers each produced with a powder-based additive manufacturing system from a plurality of consumable micro-pellets, wherein each consumable micro-pellet comprises at least two distinct components.