Project title: Design and construction of a new type of 3D VAT printer for printing photo-cured polymer nanocomposites

Principal investigator: Dr hab inż. Joanna Ortyl, prof. PK

Obtained funds: 69 000 PLN

Project duration:

Start day: 2021

End day: 2022

Short disctoption of the project:

This project aims to develop an efficient methodology for designing and preparing photocurable polymer nanocomposites by 3D-VAT printing. The developed new photochemical materials will undoubtedly require expansion of the existing apparatus facilities. Therefore, within the framework of the proposed project, design and construction works are planned to significantly modify the construction of standard 3D printers in SLA technology. These modifications will be mainly focused on introducing an additional second light source with a different wavelength, which would have a significant impact on accelerating the printing and guarantee the possibility to print materials composed of two different polymeric resins photo-cured by radical and cationic mechanisms. An additional constructional aspect that we would like to implement is the use of a new prototype 3D printer of a bath, which guarantees the possibility of heating the material in the form of liquid resin. The approach to both the production of nanocomposite photocured materials using 3D incremental techniques with the use of different LED light sources in combination with the construction of entirely new 3D printing devices becomes a new strategy for obtaining polymeric materials, so-called: multi-materials, which will bring 3D printing to a new dimension of technological advancement.

In addition, an intermediate goal of the project will be to determine and develop, based on kinetic data, differentiated most optimal photocurable polymer composites that can be used for 3D-VAT printing using LED light sources. Thus, the planned research will also develop a methodology for obtaining photocurable, 3D printed polymer nanocomposites. It is worth noting that the realization of the project will allow establishing a direct relationship between individual parameters of the photopolymerization process, the type of photoinitiating systems used and the strength properties of the printed materials.

In order to carry out the proposed research plan, cooperation between students of different faculties, chemical engineering, chemical technology and industrial biotechnology specializing in photochemical technologies has been established. The inaugurated cooperation will probably contribute to developing entirely new technological solutions based on the latest achievements in optics, technology and electronics.