Photocrosslinkable Resins for 3D Printing Applications

Three dimensional printing (3D) is a process of fabricating 3D objects through depositing layers of materials (such as polymers) on previous layers. Currently is considered one of the most important research fields in academic and industrial research centers. Among the various approaches to 3D printing, photopolymerization is of great interest due to the wide range of monomers/oligomers prone to photopolymerization reactions (photopolymers). Photoinitiators and monomers/oligomers are two important components of resins applied for 3D process, which affect not only the possibility of resin printing, but also the functional properties of the part such as mechanical strength, dimensional accuracy, transparency, modulus and others. In this article, the most important group of photopolymers used in the 3D printing process is reviewed from the point of view of reaction chemistry and their advantages and disadvantages. It is obvious that the design and manufacture of photocurable resins requires knowledge about the types of resins available and the challenges associated with them. Therefore, this article can be a good source for active researchers in this field.