Effect of Zeolite Fillers on the Photopolymerization Kinetics for Photocomposites and Lithography

The investigation on the preparation of thick samples or fillers contained composites through the photopolymerization approach is still in its infancy due to the relevant light penetration issue and internal filter effect. Herein in this work, we reported for the first time the fabrication of photocomposites containing seven different kinds of zeolite fillers under mild conditions, i.e., visible LED light irradiation at room temperature under air. The effects of the zeolite filler properties (i.e., morphologies, sizes, and contents) on the photopolymerization kinetics of a photocurable resin, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that filler 1 could promote the photopolymerization process of TMPTA, while filler 7 badly hindered the polymerization. The filler properties affecting the light penetration and the related depth of cures were also studied in detail. In addition, the lithography technique was applied to the photocomposites for the production of macroscopic patterns. Optimum fillers for lithography applications can be proposed with excellent depth of cure and good spatial resolution. Finally, the effects of photoinitiators and irradiation wavelengths on the photopolymerization processes were also investigated. This work is expected to pave a way to a field for photopolymerization reactions in the thick and composite samples and thereby expand potential application prospects such as 3D printing, high performance lightweight materials, and so on.