3D printing
About 3D printing, you must be familiar with it, 3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology, also known as additive manufacturing, is the use of resin, metal, ceramics and other materials, through the way of layer by layer printing to create objects technology. After more than 20 years of development, 3D printing technology has made remarkable achievements in electronics, industrial design, architecture, medical, automotive, aerospace and other aspects.
3D printed products
About bio-based 3D printing resins
In recent years, we have seen the rapid rise of green materials. In the field of 3D printing, this includes the preparation of 3D printing materials from natural renewable raw materials, recyclable resins, and biodegradable resins. Bio-based resins are typically made from cellulose-derived polymers, acrylate-modified polymers, and vegetable oil-based acrylates.
Bio-based resins have the advantages of renewable, environmentally friendly, resource-rich and widely distributed, and are a raw material for the sustainable preparation of polymers. With the development of biomass refining technology, more and more bio-based materials have been applied to polymers.
Parts 3D printed with soybean oleoresin
Bio-based 3D printing resins can take into account the advantages of biomass-based materials and 3D printing technology. Renewable biomass-based materials from a wide range of sources can be manufactured as needed through 3D printing technology with the ability to precisely design and quickly manufacture structurally complex materials. Therefore, in recent years, it has been increasingly used in the fields of medical device manufacturing, machinery and mold manufacturing, art and clothing design and manufacturing.
Image source: Research progress and application prospects of 3D printing biomass matrix composites_Liu Jun
Bio-based materials for 3D printing generally have problems such as poor heat resistance, and the introduction of aromatic and aliphatic structures in polymers is a common method to improve heat resistance, which is also commonly used to prepare bio-based resins. In fact, aliphatic biomass is more economical because of its wide range of sources and lower cost. However, their use in heat-resistant resins has rarely been reported. The preparation of heat-resistant, light-curing acrylates for whole biomass based on inexpensive aliphatic biomass is a huge challenge and has far-reaching implications for energy conservation and the sustainable development of polymers.