Novel polymeric support materials for jetting based additive manufacturing processes

Purpose - Jetting-based additive manufacturing processes are gaining attention due to their high speed of operation, accuracy and resolution. Support material plays an important role in the additive manufacturing of parts by using processes that utilise jetting (inkjet) technology. This research aims to present novel support material compositions consisting of methylcellulose (MC) and propylene glycol or butylene glycol. These compositions form gels which are easy to remove and provide the advantage of reusability. Design/methodology/approach - MC was mixed in propylene glycol or butylene glycol in different concentrations and examined for gel formation on heating and subsequent cooling. The viscosity and surface tension of these compositions were measured at temperatures suitable for jetting. Gel strength was characterised using texture analysis. Findings - The viscosity and surface tension values at elevated temperatures (i.e. 800 degrees C) show the suitability of these compositions for jetting-based additive manufacturing processes. Due to their softness, these gels can be removed easily and their low melting points (i.e. near 500 C) allow their reusability as support materials. Practical implications - This paper provides a novel approach of using polymer gels as support materials for additive manufacturing processes. These gels are easy to prepare and enhance the sustainability due to their reusability. Originality/value - Although, MC in water have shown to form gels and these aqueous gels have been used in many applications such as medicine and food industries, the compositions presented in this paper are unique. Such combinations of MC and non-aqueous solvents (i.e. propylene glycol and butylene glycol) have not been discussed before and provide an early step towards a new application area (i.e. additive manufacturing) for these gels.