Patent attributes
A coated filament for use in additive manufacturing includes a base polymer layer formed of a base polymer material and a coating polymer layer formed of a coating polymer material. At least the coating polymer material is susceptible to dielectric heating in response to electromagnetic radiation, thereby promoting fusion between adjacent beads of coated filament that are deposited during the additive manufacturing process. Specifically, when electromagnetic radiation is applied to an interface area between two adjacent beads of the coated filament, the polymer coating layer melts to diffuse across the interface area, thereby preventing formation of voids. The base polymer material and the coating polymer material of the coated filament also may have similar melting points and compatible solubility parameters to further promote fusion between beads.
