Functionalized Soybean Oil- and Vanillin-Based Dual Cure Photopolymerizable System for Light-Based 3D Structuring

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Developing stable and high-performance photopolymerizable resins is crucial for advanced applications.
• Existing systems often face challenges with premature polymerization and limited mechanical properties.
• Plant-derived monomers offer a sustainable alternative for polymer synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dual cure photopolymerizable system using plant-derived monomers.
• To overcome stability and premature polymerization issues in vanillin-based resins.
• To enhance mechanical properties and thermal stability for improved performance.

Main Methods:

• Combining acrylated epoxidized soybean oil, vanillin dimethacrylate, and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate).
• Optimizing resin composition for stability and selective polymerization.
• Characterizing photocuring kinetics, mechanical properties (rigidity, Young's modulus, compression modulus), and thermal stability (TGA).
• Applying the system in stereolithography and measuring the two-beam initiation threshold.

Main Results:

• Achieved a stable resin with a six-month shelf life at 4 °C.
• Demonstrated rapid photocuring without an induction period.
• Obtained significantly improved mechanical properties: rigidity (317.66 MPa), Young's modulus (4753 MPa), and compression modulus (1634 MPa).
• Exhibited high thermal stability with a 10% weight loss temperature of 373 °C.
• Successfully applied in stereolithography and characterized polymerization threshold.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual cure system offers superior stability and mechanical performance compared to existing vanillin-based polymers.
• The plant-derived monomers provide a sustainable route to high-performance photopolymers.
• The controlled polymerization threshold offers potential for cost-effective and reliable 3D printing workstations.