Patent ID: 11685124

Abstract:
A method for preparing a sacrificial support material for use in printing a three-dimensional (3D) article includes providing a water-soluble thermoplastic polymer composite including a water-soluble thermoplastic polyethylene oxide graft polymer having a polyethylene oxide polymer backbone, and from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the polyethylene oxide polymer backbone of at least one polar vinyl monomer grafted to the polyethylene oxide polymer backbone. One or more nanoscopic particulate processing aids may be uniformly dispersed in the graft polymer in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the water-soluble thermoplastic polymer composite. The water-soluble thermoplastic polymer composite may have a viscosity in the range of about 100 to about 10,000 Pa-sec. The method may also include forming the water-soluble thermoplastic polymer composite into the 3D printable sacrificial support material.