Facile Preparation of Photocurable Siloxane Composite for 3D Printing

This study presents the development and successful 3D printing of siloxane composite. Complex structures are 3D printed using vector-scanning stereolithography apparatus. Siloxane oligomer and a commercial resin in the presence of an appropriate photoinitiator combine to form a hybrid material that photopolymerizes when exposed to UV laser at 405 nm wavelength. Measurements with differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, universal testing machine (UTM), and material testing system (MTS) reveal various properties of methacrylate resin filled with different concentrations of siloxane. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy results reveal molecular structural change due to chemical reaction with the siloxane introduction. Atomic force microscopy imaging displays the surface morphology characteristics of the hybrid polymer while the contact angle confirms the surface energy existing on the samples. The 3D-printed structures show unique physicochemical and thermomechanical properties that can lead to great potential for new applications in the field. This work is the first comprehensive study on 3D printing using siloxane through stereolithography. (Figure presented.).