Hybrid Resin Composition With Two-Step Curing for Toughness and Tg
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D-printing resin compositions for lithography-based additive manufacturing struggle to achieve a balance between high toughness and thermal resistance, often compromising one property for the other, and face issues with stability and controlled curing during the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid resin composition comprising monofunctional light-curable component A, mono- or multifunctional light-curable component B, and mono- or multifunctional heat-curable component C, which undergoes a two-step curing process involving light-induced polymerization followed by heat-induced polymerization, forming an interpenetrating network with enhanced thermal properties and toughness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high molecular weight oligomers are used to improve toughness, then elongation at break increases, but glass transition temperature decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the curing process into two distinct segments: a light-curing step that forms a preliminary network structure, followed by a thermal curing step that completes the crosslinking. This segmentation allows the oligomers to contribute to toughness during light curing while the subsequent thermal curing elevates the glass transition temperature without compromising the already-formed tough network structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the curing parameters by introducing a two-stage process with different temperature and time conditions. The first stage uses UV light at ambient or elevated temperature to initiate polymerization, while the second stage uses thermal curing at higher temperatures to complete crosslinking, thereby achieving both high toughness and high glass transition temperature.
2Temperature
If crosslinking density is increased to improve heat resistance, then glass transition temperature increases, but toughness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The light-curing step performs a preliminary action by forming an initial polymer network structure that establishes the basic mechanical properties and toughness. This preliminary network then serves as a foundation upon which the thermal curing step builds additional crosslinks to increase heat resistance without disrupting the toughening mechanism established in the first stage.
3Strength
If high viscosity resins are used to achieve high toughness and heat resistance, then material performance improves, but processability and printing speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter during processing by applying elevated temperatures during the light-curing step. This temperature elevation reduces the viscosity of the high molecular weight oligomers and high Tg components, enabling them to flow and polymerize uniformly during printing, thereby maintaining high printing speeds while achieving the desired high toughness and heat resistance in the final cured part.
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 hybrid resin composition achieves improved thermal resistance, as measured by glass transition temperature, while maintaining high toughness, and ensures stable, controlled curing suitable for complex part production in lithography-based additive manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
component A upon light-induced curing forming a polymer backbone
Implementation Method 2
component C being at least one mono- or multifunctional, heat-curable component forming a second polymerized network
Data Source
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AI summary
A hybrid resin composition for the 3D-printing of objects, comprising at least one monofunctional, light-curable component A functioning as a reactive diluent (RD), at least one mono- or multifunctional, light-curable component B functioning as a toughness modifier (TNM), and at least one mono- or multifunctional, heat curable component C functioning as a Tg-enhancer (TGE).