Cyclopolymerizable Additives for 3D Printed Resin Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-dimensional printed articles often lack desirable mechanical properties, such as strength and durability, due to the limitations of existing build materials.
Innovation Solution
The use of a polymerizable liquid containing additives with cyclopolymerizable functionalities separated by aliphatic or alkylene oxide linkers, which enhance the mechanical properties of printed articles when polymerized.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If UV curable acrylate formulations are used to print parts with high resolution on DLP systems, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the resulting parts lack desirable mechanical properties and are prone to fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines UV curable acrylate formulations with cyclopolymerizable monomers containing aliphatic linkers to create a composite build material system. This composite approach allows the material to maintain both high resolution printing capability and improved mechanical properties, specifically tensile strength and elongation at break, by leveraging the complementary strengths of each material component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the build material by incorporating specific cyclopolymerizable monomers with controlled aliphatic linker lengths. This parameter change enables the material to achieve both high curing efficiency for resolution and enhanced mechanical properties, transforming the material's molecular structure to resolve the contradiction between resolution and strength
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional build materials are used, then printing process is simple, but articles lack resistance to hydrolysis and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cyclopolymerizable monomers with aliphatic linkers as intermediary molecular structures that bridge the gap between simple printing processes and enhanced material durability. These intermediary molecules provide hydrolysis resistance and degradation protection while maintaining compatibility with existing DLP printing workflows, thus improving reliability without sacrificing ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The build material system performs self-protection against hydrolysis and degradation through the inherent chemical stability of the cyclopolymerizable monomers with aliphatic linkers. The material structure itself provides resistance to environmental degradation pathways, eliminating the need for additional protective treatments or complex manufacturing steps while enhancing reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The described solution significantly improves the mechanical properties of 3D printed articles, including tensile strength, tensile modulus, and heat deflection temperature, while also providing resistance to hydrolysis and degradation.
Implementation Method 1
the polymerizable liquid may further comprise a photoinitiator component, and curing of the polymerizable liquid may occur by irradiation of the liquid with light of the appropriate wavelength to initial free radical polymerization
Data Source
AI summary
Additives for three-dimensional build materials or inks are described herein which, in some embodiments, can impart one or more structural enhancements to articles printed from the build materials. In one aspect, a polymerizable liquid comprises at least one additive including a plurality of cyclopolymerizable functionalities separated by an aliphatic linker or alkylene oxide linker.