Innovative Castor Oil Derivative Synthesized through a Sustainable Approach Generating Reactive Cross-Linker from...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Additive manufacturing relies on reactive precursors for product fabrication.
• Developing sustainable, biobased materials is crucial for advanced manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel biobased printable compound, 2-hydroxypropyl ricinoleate dimethacrylate (2-HPRDM).
• To valorize waste products into propylene glycol dimethacrylate (PGDMA) for enhanced resin properties.
• To characterize and test the 3D-printability and performance of the developed resin.

Main Methods:

• Castor oil transesterification to produce 2-hydroxypropyl ricinoleate (2-HPR).
• Esterification of 2-HPR with methacrylic anhydride to form 2-HPRDM.
• Vacuum-distillation esterification for PGDMA synthesis from waste methacrylic acid.
• Structural characterization using NMR, ESI-MS, and FTIR.
• 3D printing using mSLA technology and mechanical/thermomechanical testing (DMA, tensile, flexural).

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and characterization of 2-HPRDM and PGDMA.
• Demonstrated usability of the compounds in mSLA 3D printing.
• The optimal 2-HPRDM/PGDMA formulation (45 wt% PGDMA) showed a storage modulus of 750 MPa, glass-transition temperature of 85.6 °C, tensile strength of 16.1 MPa, and flexural strength of 14.3 MPa.

Conclusions:

• A novel, high-performance biobased resin for additive manufacturing was successfully developed.
• The synthesis strategy effectively valorizes byproducts, promoting a circular economy approach.
• The resulting 3D-printed materials possess promising mechanical and thermomechanical properties for various applications.