Fire Retardant Photopolymer for Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current photopolymer compositions used in light-based additive manufacturing often lack the necessary fire retardant properties required for various industrial applications, particularly in aerospace, automotive, and marine industries, where safety and regulatory compliance demand materials with flame retardant capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A fire retardant (FR) composite composition is developed, comprising a liquid polymer with specific molecular components such as photopolymers, FR thermosets, and photoinitiators, along with a solid filler, optimized for light-based additive manufacturing processes to achieve desirable fire retardant properties. The composition includes a photopolymer with unsaturated carbon-carbon double bonds, a molecule with a terminal thiol group, and functional groups like aliphatic ethers, epoxies, and isocyanates, combined with a FR thermoset and inert or flame-retarding solid fillers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional photopolymer compositions are used in light-based additive manufacturing, then the manufacturing process can be performed, but the resulting composite structures lack the necessary fire retardant properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining photopolymer molecules with flame retardant thermoset molecules and solid filler particles to create a multi-component liquid polymer composition. This composite approach integrates the light-curing capability of photopolymers with the fire retardant properties of thermosets and fillers, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and fire safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the liquid polymer by incorporating specific ratios of photopolymer (10-90 wt%), flame retardant thermoset (15-80 wt%), and photoinitiator (0.001-10 wt%). These parameter adjustments enable the material to simultaneously achieve light-based additive manufacturing compatibility and fire retardant performance
2Reliability
If fire retardant materials are added to photopolymer compositions, then fire safety is improved, but the complexity of the composition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single liquid polymer composition by combining photopolymer molecules, flame retardant thermoset molecules, and solid filler particles. This consolidation integrates fire safety, light-curing, and structural properties into one unified material system, reducing overall system complexity despite the multi-functional requirements
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 FR composite composition achieves a UL-94 rating of V-0 or better and a total heat release (THR) of 8 KJ/g or less, demonstrating enhanced fire retardancy and safety, suitable for creating composite structures through light-based additive manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
light-based additive manufacturing methods use light or laser exposure to cure layer-upon-layer of a photopolymer (i.e. a polymer that changes properties when exposed to light) to create a composite structure
Data Source
AI summary
A fire retardant (FR) composite composition, including a liquid polymer, wherein the liquid polymer includes a photopolymer including at least two of a first molecule, a second molecule, and a third molecule, a FR thermoset, and a photoinitiator.