In the field of additive manufacturing, new materials are constantly being sought that can push the boundaries of what is possible. One promising area is the development of composites that combine the unique properties of various components. A recent study was devoted to the creation and study of a composite material based on quasi-crystalline powder and photopolymer resin, intended for use in stereolithography.
Quasicrystals, known for their aperiodic structure and unique physical properties such as high hardness, low friction coefficient and corrosion resistance, are of great interest for various applications. The introduction of quasicrystalline powder into a photopolymer resin allows obtaining a material with improved mechanical and tribological characteristics.
The process of creating the composite involved thoroughly mixing the quasi-crystalline powder with the photopolymer resin, ensuring uniform distribution of the particles. The resulting suspension was used in a stereolithography unit to create three-dimensional objects. Research has shown that adding the quasi-crystalline powder increases the hardness and wear resistance of the material, while maintaining the ability to create complex geometric shapes. The developed composite opens up new prospects for creating functional parts and components with improved characteristics.
Laser-assisted stereolithography (SL) is an additive manufacturing technology that is increasingly used to create complex-shaped parts. The process requires the use of a photopolymerizable resin, which can be doped with ceramic powders or carbon fibers to produce composite materials. However, the choice of materials suitable for SL is limited. In particular, processing of photopolymerizable resins reinforced with metal particles is difficult due to the high reflectivity of intermetallic compounds in the UV and visible ranges.
In this work, the unique properties of quasicrystalline aluminum-based alloys are used to develop a new UV-curable resin reinforced with metal particles. The optical properties of quasicrystalline particles and resin filled with them are investigated. The volumetric content of filler particles in the liquid resin is optimized to increase the polymerization depth while maintaining suitable rheological properties. Using SL, 3D composite parts are created that have improved mechanical properties compared to pure resin (higher hardness, less wear, and lower friction coefficient).
Author: Adnene Sakly, Samuel Kenzari, David Bonina, Serge Corbel, Vincent Fournée
Institute: Institut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS – University of Lorraine, Parc Sorup, F–54011 Nancy CEDEX, France, Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering, UMR 7274 CNRS – University of Lorraine, 1st rue Granville, F–54001 Nancy CEDEX, France, Qingdao Center for Resource Chemistry and New Materials, Qingdao 266000, P.R. China