Vat Photopolymerization Printing of Modular Soft Stretchable Low-Cost Elastomers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Additive manufacturing of elastomers is crucial for advanced devices.
• Developing soft, stretchable elastomers for vat photopolymerization (VP) printing remains challenging.
• Existing VP resins lack the required combination of softness and stretchability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a modular, soft, stretchable, and low-cost elastomer resin for VP printing.
• To achieve exceptional mechanical properties through a dual-network system.
• To demonstrate the utility of the developed resin in fabricating functional 3D structures.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a resin using commodity acrylates.
• Photocuring to create a dual-network with covalent and reversible hydrogen bonds.
• Utilizing a customized VP printing platform for 3D fabrication.
• Characterization of mechanical properties (Young's modulus, tensile breaking strain).
• Testing impact protection capabilities using soft gels.

Main Results:

• Developed a resin enabling elastomers with Young's modulus of 20-150 kPa and tensile breaking strain of 510-1350%.
• Achieved superior softness and stretchability compared to existing VP resins.
• Successfully 3D printed complex structures with extreme dissipative properties.
• Demonstrated 75% reduction in impact severity for protected soft gels.

Conclusions:

• The novel elastomer resin offers an exceptional combination of softness, stretchability, and impact resistance for VP printing.
• The modular design and low cost of raw materials make it a versatile feedstock for additive manufacturing.
• This technology opens new avenues for creating high-fidelity, functional 3D elastomer structures.