Optical transmittance of 3D printing materials

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly used for optical components, requiring detailed knowledge of material optical properties.
• Understanding light transmittance is essential for designing and validating 3D printed optical housings and mounts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for measuring transmittance spectra of 3D printing materials.
• To analyze the relationship between transmittance, material thickness, and color across the visible to short-wave infrared spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multi-thickness samples (1-4 mm) of 3D printing materials.
• Measured transmittance spectra from 400 to 2400 nm using a light source and spectrometer.
• Investigated the influence of sample thickness and color on light transmission.

Main Results:

• Light transmittance was found to be primarily dependent on sample thickness and color.
• Multiple scattering effects complicated the relationship between transmittance, extinction, and thickness, preventing a simple exponential model.
• Provided a reproducible method for optical property characterization of 3D printed materials.

Conclusions:

• The developed method allows for accurate optical characterization of 3D printed materials for optical applications.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering thickness and color for material selection in 3D printed optics.
• The study provides resources (Solidworks and 3D printer files) for further research and material characterization.