3d printing of a composite material via sequential dual-curing polymerization

Abstract

A method of printing a 3D printing a photopolymer composite material includes providing a resin premix material including an acrylate monomer or an acrylate oligomer, an inorganic hydrate, a reinforcing filler, a co-initiator, and an ultraviolet (UV) initiator. A thermal initiator is mixed with the resin premix to form a photopolymer composite resin. The photopolymer composite resin is repeatedly extruded and dual-cured by a 3D printing system to create a photopolymer composite material. The 3D printing system includes a control system, a mixing system, a feeding system in fluid communication with the mixing system, a light curing module controlled by the control system, and a printing head controlled by the control system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of 3D printing a photopolymer composite material, the method comprising:
 a) providing a resin premix material including:
 at least one of an acrylate monomer and an acrylate oligomer in the range between about 10.0-30.0 w % of a photopolymer composite resin; 
 an inorganic hydrate in the range between about 5.0-30.0 w % of the photopolymer composite resin; 
 a reinforcing filler in the range between about 50.0-80.0 w % of the photopolymer composite resin; 
 an ultraviolet (UV) initiator in the range between about 0.001-0.2 w % of the photopolymer composite resin; and 
 a co-initiator in the range between about 0.001-0.05 w % of the photopolymer composite resin; 
   b) mixing a thermal initiator in the range between about 0.001-0.05 w % of the photopolymer composite resin with the resin premix material to form the photopolymer composite resin;   c) extruding a layer of the photopolymer composite resin using a 3D printer onto a support;   d) at least partially curing the layer using light irradiation; and   e) repeating steps c) and d) onto each subsequent layer to create the photopolymer composite material.