Victrex Manufacturing Limited

Ulutan Tahsin

Adam Chaplin

Martin Riley

Connor Dallas

Samuel Hoggarth

Don Thomas

A polyaryletherketone PAEK polymeric material and use thereof is disclosed, the polymeric material comprising a homopolymer and/or a copolymer, suitable for use in an additive manufacturing process to make an object. The PAEK polymeric material has a shear viscosity, SV, of at least 145 Pa·s and less than 350 Pa·s, measured using capillary rheometry operating at 400° C. at a shear rate of 1000 susing a circular cross-section tungsten carbide die, 0.5 mm (capillary diameter)×8 mm (capillary length). The PAEK polymeric material has an isothermal crystallinity half life, T, of greater than 12 minutes at a temperature of 280° C., measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, DSC.

Polymeric material and use thereof

A polyaryletherketone, PAEK, in the form of particles is a copolymer with at least 95 mole % repeat units of formula I, and repeat units of formula II, and a molar ratio I:II from 55:45 to 80:20. The PAEK has a melt viscosity, MV, from 0.35 to 0.55 kNsmat 1000 s. The PAEK is of use in formation of components having high elongation at break when formed by selective sintering and melt-bonding of sequentially deposited layers of powder comprising the PAEK particles. Also provided are processes for making the PAEK particles, powders including them and their use and methods of their use in component formation.

Polymeric material, manufacture and use

A method for manufacture of PEEK-PEDEK copolymers is described herein, along with copolymers formed by the method and their use. The method includes a nucleophilic polycondensation of a mixture of dihydroxybenzene and dihydroxybiphenyl with 4,4'-dihalobenzophenone in a reaction mixture comprising sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, in an aromatic sulfone solvent, at a reaction temperature rising to a temperature from 280° C. to 330° C. immediately prior to the addition of a reaction-stopping salt, such as LiCl or LiSO, to the reaction mixture. Further organic dihalide is subsequently added to the reaction mixture for end-capping of the copolymer. The resulting copolymer has reduced chain branching and reduced melt viscosity at low shear rate compared to prior art copolymer of comparable molecular mass.

Copolymers and process for their manufacture

A process for manufacturing an object, the process comprising steps: a) selecting a feedstock material comprising one or more polymeric material selected from i) a polymeric material (A) having a repeat unit of formula I and a repeat unit of formula II wherein Ph represents a phenylene moiety; and/or ii) a polymeric material (B) having a repeat unit of formula III and a repeat unit of formula IV wherein Ph represents a phenylene moiety; each X independently represents an oxygen or suphur atom; n represents an integer of 1 or 2; Y is selected from a phenylene moiety, a Ph-Ph moiety and a naphthalenyl moiety; W is a carbonyl group, an oxygen or sulphur atom, Z is selected from &#x2014;X-Ph-S02-Ph- &#x2014;X-Ph-S02-Y-S02-Ph- and &#x2014;CO-Ph-; b) melting the feedstock material; and c) extruding the feedstock material to form a plurality of parts that define the object.

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Lancashire, United Kingdom

Ulutan Tahsin