Researchers have invented a new solvent-free polymer for digital light printing (DLP), a type of 3D printing that essentially pulls solid objects out of a shallow pool of resin one layer at a time.
Researchers have invented a new solvent-free polymer for digital light printing , a type of 3D printing that essentially pulls solid objects out of a shallow pool of resin one layer at a time. Besides eliminating a well-known issue of finished objects shrinking after printing, the lack of solvent also results in improved mechanical properties of the part while maintaining the ability to degrade in the body.
A major challenge to using this 3D printing method, however, is that the resins need to have a low viscosity, almost like water, to function properly at high resolution. Plenty of polymers that would otherwise be useful in DLP printing are solids or too viscous, requiring solvents to dilute them to an appropriate consistency.
Being one of the first solvent free resins that can be used in DLP printing, Segal was interested in testing the properties of parts made with it. She was excited to discover that the test parts did not shrink or distort at all and in general, they were also stronger and more durable than those made with solvents. According to her findings, this is one of the first empirical demonstrations of increased mechanical properties from eliminating solvent use in DLP 3D printing of degradable polymers.
"Besides making a material that didn't shrink and was stronger, I also wanted it to be useful for medical applications," Segal said."I'm trying to make prototype devices that are both biocompatible and degradable. Eliminating toxic solvents from the process will help me do that." "This kind of material is what makes this particular application the primary goal of my work," Segal said."And in reality, this technique could be used for any sort of implant that you would want to degrade after some time and not stay there forever."
Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry 3-D Printing Spintronics Research Mobile Computing Educational Technology Computer Graphics
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