Mumbai – Scientists at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai have developed UV-curable polyurethane acrylate (PUA) oligomers based on castor oil. These were then used to prepare a range of UV-curable resins by combining the PUA with different reactive diluents.
The thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting resins were then studied. They found that the formulation that included trimethylolpropane triacrylate had the highest mechanical strength and thermal stability, while that made with isobornyl acrylate was the poorest. Dipropyleneglycol diacrylate fell between the two.
They also found that they could incorporate 1% titanium dioxide into the resin, which increased its viscosity and improved its mechanical properties without affecting thermal stability.
The team suggested that the castor oil-based resins could have 3D printing applications in areas such as architectural models, automotive components, and in medical devices.
The work has been published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science.
