Photo-curable Elastic Ink for 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elastic materials for 3D printing face challenges such as high-temperature vulcanization requirements, long processing times, and unsuitability for 3D printing due to high viscosity and poor compatibility with heat-sensitive components, limiting their application in photo-curable elastic materials.
Innovation Solution
A photo-curable elastic ink composition comprising a blend of soft and hard monomers, cross-linking agents, non-reactive soft resins, photo-initiators, and auxiliary agents, with adjustable viscosities, allowing for rapid curing and low shrinkage, suitable for both 3D inkjet and stereolithography printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional elastic materials are used for 3D printing, then elastic properties can be achieved, but high-temperature vulcanization is required and processing time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional thermal vulcanization process with a photo-curing system. The ink composition contains photo-initiators that activate monomers and oligomers upon UV or visible light exposure, enabling rapid crosslinking and curing without high-temperature thermal processing. This substitution of thermal field with optical field resolves the contradiction by achieving elastic material formation in seconds rather than hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the curing parameter from temperature-based (thermal vulcanization requiring high temperature and long time) to light-based (photo-curing requiring specific wavelength illumination). By incorporating photo-initiators and selecting monomers/oligomers with appropriate absorption characteristics, the system achieves rapid curing at room temperature under UV or visible light, dramatically reducing processing time while maintaining elastic properties.
2Productivity
If blended photo-curable elastic materials are used, then rapid solidification and fast curing speed are achieved, but solvent content causes volatility issues and unsuitability for 3D printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the solvent component from the photo-curable elastic material formulation. Instead of using solvent-based blends, the invention employs a solvent-free composition of monomers, oligomers, and photo-initiators. This extraction of the harmful solvent element eliminates volatility problems and makes the material suitable for 3D printing applications while preserving fast curing characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite photo-curable system combining multiple functional components: monomers (for base polymer formation), oligomers (for elasticity and viscosity control), and photo-initiators (for curing activation). This composite material design achieves both fast curing speed and 3D printing suitability by synergistically selecting components with appropriate reactivity, molecular weight, and photoinitiation efficiency, without requiring volatile solvents.
3Strength
If chemically modified polymerizable elastic materials are used, then photosensitivity and elasticity are achieved, but high viscosity and poor compatibility result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the elastic material formulation into distinct functional components with different molecular weights and viscosities: low-viscosity monomers (for flow and penetration), medium-viscosity oligomers (for elasticity), and photo-initiators (for curing). This segmentation allows the final composition to have optimized overall viscosity suitable for printing while maintaining excellent elasticity through the oligomer component. The modular approach enables independent optimization of each component's properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the molecular weight distribution and functional group composition of the oligomers to optimize the balance between viscosity and elasticity. By selecting oligomers with specific glass transition temperatures and molecular weights, and controlling the ratio of monomer to oligomer, the system achieves low enough viscosity for easy printing while maintaining high elasticity upon curing. The photo-initiator concentration and type are also optimized to ensure complete curing without requiring excessive viscosity.
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 composition achieves fast curing, low shrinkage, high transparency, and excellent elastic properties, enabling high-precision printing with extended print head life and adaptable viscosity for various printing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
photo-curable elastic materials have been gradually developed. Photo-curable elastic materials can realize rapid solidification of elastic materials by using photo-curing technology
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a photo-curable elastic ink composition for three-dimensional printing and the preparation method. The ink composition includes approximately 10%-75% of a soft monomer, approximately 10%-75% of a hard monomer, approximately 5%-20% of a cross-linking agent, approximately 5%-20% of a non-reactive soft resin, approximately 0.5%-10% of a photo-initiator, approximately 0%-0.5% of a colorant, and approximately 0.05%-8% of an auxiliary agent. The soft monomer is capable of generating a homopolymer with a glass transition temperature lower than about 25° C. The hard monomer is capable of generating a homopolymer with a glass transition temperature of about 25° C. or higher. The non-reactive soft resin is a resin without containing any radiation curable group in the molecular structure and having a glass transition temperature less than 0° C.