Development of biobased photocurable resin for LCD 3D printing of reprocessable catalyst-free vitrimer

Purpose This research aimed to develop a novel photocurable biobased resin for LCD 3D printing of reprocessable catalyst-free vitrimer. Design/methodology/approach A series of new photocurable biobased resins composed of dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, 1,3-diglycerolate diacrylate, mixture of glycerol methacrylate isomers and resveratrol triglycidyl ether were designed without transesterification catalyst and their photocuring features were investigated to determine the most suitable for LCD 3D printing. The photocuring kinetics was investigated by real-time photorheometry. The thermal and mechanical properties, stress relaxation, self-welding, reprocessability and LCD 3D printability of the selected polymer were investigated. Findings The determined influence of different resin components is as follows: dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate and 1,3-diglycerolate diacrylate increase photocuring rate and rigidity of resulting polymers, mixture of glycerol methacrylate isomers reduces viscosity and resveratrol triglycidyl ether reduce shrinkage. The selected polymer exhibits vitrimeric properties and thermal stability higher by ca. 100°C than that of most biobased vitrimers reported in the literature and other polymers obtained from the commercial resins for optical 3D printing. Originality/value This study demonstrates the importance of resin design for successful application in optical 3D printing and reveals the main challenges in selecting the right components to obtain the targeted vitrimer properties. The exceptional thermal stability and LCD 3D printability of the developed vitrimer are important for manufacturing precise and complex products for various industries, while self-welding and reprocessing capabilities are crucial for the reuse of such products.