Plant based resins could make 3D printing more sustainable

The team has developed new 3D polymeric resins from monomers obtained from several natural sources, including succinic acid, which is a compound found in foods such as corn and broccoli.

Led by UPC, the research was carried out in two stages. First, the polymeric resin was formulated using plant-based materials, in a process led by Elaine Armelin, a researcher in the Innovation in Materials and Molecular Engineering - Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies (IMEM-BRT) group and a professor at the Barcelona East School of Engineering (EEBE). In the second stage, the ICIQ’s Knowledge and Technology Transfer (ICIQ-KTT) and Industrial Projects team printed the resin.

Sustainable 3D printing

The polymeric resins developed by the UPC and ICIQ team are derived from succinic acid, malic acid and tartaric acid, which require a single synthesis step to be converted into functional resins. These can then be used in digital light processing (DLP) or stereolithography (SLA) printers. In light-based 3D printing, resins must be liquid, solvent-free, and feature fast polymerisation kinetics to be industrially viable.