Stereolithography (SLA) is an established and popular additive manufacturing (3D printing) technique that allows the fabrication of solid objects via the photopolymerization of a liquid resin quickly, with high precision and low material consumption. A typical SLA composition consists of relatively high-molecular-weight polymerizable resin(s) mixed with one or several low-molecular-weight reactive diluents. The diluents, small molecules with polymerizable groups, reduce the overall viscosity of the composition and participate in photopolymerization during the 3D printing process. This way, the rheological properties of the SLA resins are kept within acceptable limits without compromising mechanical performance. Nowadays, petroleum-based acrylates constitute the majority of commercially available reactive diluents, however, the push for increased sustainability stimulates the development of new high-performance substituents from renewable raw materials.<br/>In the current work, we evaluated the performance of several types of bio-based monomers as reactive diluents. Produced from bio-based feedstock via a series of simple transformations, these chemicals can effectively reduce the viscosity of commercial SLA resins and satisfy performance requirements. For example, compared to 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, a widely used petroleum-based difunctional diluent, the new bio-based acrylate and methacrylate diluents offer significantly improved mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, tensile strength, tensile and fracture toughness). Glass transition temperature of the 3D printed parts is also increased. New bio-based styrene-type diluents maintain the performance edge over commercial controls while helping to avoid the drawbacks typically associated with the use of styrene. The high performance and bio-based nature of the new monomers make them promising reactive diluents for sustainable SLA resin compositions.

Bio-based monomers as sustainable reactive diluents for stereolithography

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