Effect of Acrylic and Epoxy Hybrid Crosslinker on the Mechanical Strength of Photocurable Resin for 3D Printing

Abstract

In the acrylic and epoxy monomers copolymerization system, a hybrid crosslinking agent (CLA) with an acrylic group and an epoxy group at both ends of one molecule was added to a resin and cured photochemically. The hybrid CLA formed a crosslinked network between acrylic and epoxy polymer chains. The effect of this hybrid CLA on the mechanical strength of the resin was investigated. The results indicated that excellent impact resistance, acrylic monomer conversion rate, and heat resistance were obtained by the addition of a certain amount of the hybrid CLA to the resin. Furthermore, changes to the structure of the central skeleton of the hybrid CLA resulted in changes to the mechanical properties of the cured resin. When the internal structure of the cured resin with the hybrid CLA was observed using scanning electron microscopy, the structural texture indicated the formation of an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN)-like structure. This IPN structure could have a role in the improvement of the mechanical strength of the cured polymer.