Mat3D Project

DLP 3D-Printable Hybrid Resin – Academic Research

During my 6-month internship at Mat3D Innovative Materials, I did a research project aimed at developing a hybrid acrylic-epoxy resin tailored for high-resolution DLP 3D printing. The goal was to enhance Mechanical properties while maintaining print precision and stability.

The study focused on blending acrylate and epoxy chemistries, combining multiple functional monomers with graphite microfillers to improve mechanical properties. The formulations were printed using SLA method and Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K printer, with optimized parameters ensuring layer thickness of 50 μm and accurate polymerization.

To evaluate chemical evolution and reaction efficiency, I performed FT-IR spectroscopy on both pre-cured and thermally treated samples. A detailed reduction in epoxy and acrylate functional peaks confirmed successful curing and post-polymerization effects.

A wide range of material characterization tests were conducted:
• DSC revealed two distinct glass transition temperatures, showing dual-network behavior.
• TGA analysis showed high thermal resistance, with decomposition onset around 230°C.
• DMA confirmed the storage modulus enhancement after thermal treatment and filler addition.
• Tensile testing confirmed that optimal filler concentration (0.5%) led to up to 55% improvement in strength after thermal post-curing.
• OCA (Contact angle) tests demonstrated slightly lower hydrophilicity in graphite-reinforced samples.

These findings contribute to understanding hybrid dual-curing networks for photopolymer applications, and highlight the importance of filler dispersion, post-curing, and resin-filler interaction in tailoring performance. The academic depth of the project was highly enriching and I am thankful from all my colleagues who helped me to learn a lot.

I’m currently finalizing this work into a research article aimed for publication in 2025. The experience not only strengthened my lab and analytical skills, but gave me deep insight into what it takes to bridge materials science and additive manufacturing in a meaningful way.

Note: Full article and supplementary data are available upon request for academic use upon request.