Plastics, Epoxies, Resins, Photopolymerization, etc - Research, Development, Use, and Analysis -> http://objects.reprap.org/wiki/Plastics https://reprap.org/forum/list.php?184 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:21:11 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894279#msg-894279 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894279#msg-894279 brianmh13 Polymer Working Group Fri, 02 Feb 2024 14:03:15 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894246#msg-894246 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894246#msg-894246
One of my related ideas was to laser-sinter dark plastic powders or lignin-powder (have some from Tecnaro)]]> VDX Polymer Working Group Tue, 30 Jan 2024 02:13:56 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894244#msg-894244 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894244#msg-894244 I have been trying to "think outside the box" regarding plastics and how to develop new processes for producing material such as filament or print heads that can utilize new materials.

The specific material/process I want to develop would involve using powder form plastics but not in the same way as SLS.

I'm quite certain the equipment I would be using and the blends/additives would work. I also can do it with mostly existing equipment and for a low cost. I knew it was possible to obtain very fine powders that are typically used in SLS powder fusion printing but when I saw the prices for those powders as provided specifically for SLS it was horrifying.

100.00$+ per kilogram! Additionally there are currently limited polymer types available (primarily various nylons)

I have theorized a process to produce very fine spherical plastics in a number of polymers however that is a whole other thing and would involve serious equipment and manufacturing methods including solvent reclamation.

There is at least one processor that may be able to produce powders from many types of polymers that I plan on getting in contact with to see if they can help.

As an alternative I was thinking of thermoset types of plastics and wondering if they could work. For example there are Polyester and Epoxy powders that are commonly available and relatively inexpensive for use in the metal powder coating industry.

My real question is how well those types of polymers respond to several heating and cooling cycles.

They may be able to be heated once and retail good strength characteristics but can they be heated to transition (softening temperature) twice? Three times? (and still retain favorable physical properties)

It's my understanding that with thermoset plastics maximum crosslinking of polymer occur with initial mixing of a base resin and catalyst and may increase with an initial heat treatment but don't now how they would respond to being fully melted and cooled subsequently. Similar considerations would also apply to photo polymers.

P.S. that hot melt glue application apparati could be probably used for numerous processes including application of binder for metal powder printing. Perhaps not necessarily what I'm looking to do but interesting though. Thanks for showing that. I figured Rep Rappers were perhaps the best community to talk to about obscure, perhaps untapped materials and equipment repurposing!]]> brianmh13 Polymer Working Group Tue, 30 Jan 2024 01:14:21 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894197#msg-894197 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894197#msg-894197 www.vermes.com]

This could be ued with "filled" materials too ...]]> VDX Polymer Working Group Wed, 24 Jan 2024 03:05:52 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894196#msg-894196 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,894196,894196#msg-894196 brianmh13 Polymer Working Group Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:04:35 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,759768,894195#msg-894195 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,759768,894195#msg-894195 brianmh13 Polymer Working Group Tue, 23 Jan 2024 19:51:16 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,880948#msg-880948 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,880948#msg-880948
[attachment 117551 Stanford-BunnyVoronoi2bVergleich_kl.jpg]]]> VDX Polymer Working Group Wed, 27 Jan 2021 02:37:52 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,876049,876049#msg-876049 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,876049,876049#msg-876049 electrophile Polymer Working Group Thu, 13 Aug 2020 00:34:19 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864101#msg-864101 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864101#msg-864101 12345lance Polymer Working Group Sat, 14 Dec 2019 03:01:33 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864089#msg-864089 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864089#msg-864089 VDX Polymer Working Group Fri, 13 Dec 2019 18:25:18 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864087#msg-864087 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,791779,864087#msg-864087
Did you get it working? What printer do you use?]]> 12345lance Polymer Working Group Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:59:50 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863439#msg-863439 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863439#msg-863439 12345lance Polymer Working Group Sun, 01 Dec 2019 04:08:47 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863428#msg-863428 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863428#msg-863428 VDX Polymer Working Group Sat, 30 Nov 2019 19:39:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863425#msg-863425 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863425#msg-863425

and I did follow the recipe to a point, Does Benzoin Isobutyl Ether work at 405nm?]]> 12345lance Polymer Working Group Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:25:47 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863424#msg-863424 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863424#msg-863424 VDX Polymer Working Group Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:04:03 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863423#msg-863423 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863423#msg-863423 VDX Polymer Working Group Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:01:06 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863422#msg-863422 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,863422#msg-863422
I did get around to procuring all the materials for the resin, but I just can't get it to cure in my 3D printer! (Its an LCD machine)
But it does cure in the UV lamp I have, just not in the printer!
Any idea why?]]> 12345lance Polymer Working Group Sat, 30 Nov 2019 16:56:33 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,862423#msg-862423 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,862423#msg-862423 VDX Polymer Working Group Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:41:19 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,862420#msg-862420 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,862420#msg-862420
I remember reading many times that post
As Fernando (spota) says in this Link (2008) the chemicals and recipe are:

Per 100g of UV-curing resin:
3g of Benzil CAS: 134-81-6
1g of Benzoilisobutylether (BIsoBE) CAS: 119-61-9
1g of MDEA CAS: 105-59-9
0.5g of EDTA (CAS: 60-00-4, 150-43-6) or 0.1g of Hydrochinone (CAS: 123-31-9)
complete to 100g with Polyester resin.

I've put CAS numbers on last two.

First i need to start building my FDM printer before an incursion into SLA, but i'm afraid that i'm not sure that i can get all the chemicals here (Argentina) i need to send some emails to suppliers before trying.

Also This comment says something about buying from hong kong these chemicals, i wonder if someone tried that]]> Ari_yo Polymer Working Group Wed, 13 Nov 2019 14:01:57 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,861640#msg-861640 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,861640#msg-861640
[attachment 113150 MoonCity.jpg]]]> VDX Polymer Working Group Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:45:48 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,861631#msg-861631 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,861631,861631#msg-861631
some 10+ years ago I've received a bottle of experimental UV-resin from Fernando (spota) -- found the bottle in the basement and it was still fluid.

So tested it with "standard setting", same as for a common white resin (in the last image) -- looks like perfect prints! ... after 10 years in the basement (with broken cap) :)-D

[attachment 113143 AltesResin1-abtropfend.jpg] [attachment 113144 AltesResin3-fertig.jpg]


... here the white resin (with a printing error):

[attachment 113145 WeissesResin-Fehldruck.jpg]]]> VDX Polymer Working Group Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:01:02 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,847409#msg-847409 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,847409#msg-847409 what i found is , unless you have an active heated chamber its worthless to print in those filaments .
the parts might look nice and all , but the layer adhesion will be poor .
they wont function near their advertised tensile strength .]]> sss Polymer Working Group Tue, 19 Feb 2019 09:59:21 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,846737,846737#msg-846737 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,846737,846737#msg-846737
I would like to know if anybody knows if are there a printer which print in PFA filament and how can I get more info about PFA filaments and printers can do this.

Thanks in advance

Best regards

Nalayh]]> nalayh Polymer Working Group Mon, 11 Feb 2019 07:54:38 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,844850#msg-844850 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,844850#msg-844850 Davo3 Polymer Working Group Fri, 18 Jan 2019 08:03:25 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,673209,842103#msg-842103 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,673209,842103#msg-842103 This when printed at a high temperature together with 120% flow rate (for filling the gaps between lines/layers)
has been shown to give the best clear results of any FDM material.
And, it´s really easy to print with too.

If you would go and use SLA, I would recommend Monocure 3D rapid clear resin, which is the clearest SLA resin I have seen.
It really, really is see-through-clear.

Cozmicray´s idea of making a vaccum mold is also a really,really good way to do it.

I would say that for just the headlights, where no see-through clarity is needed, but translucent will suffice, FDM is a viable option.
But do yourself a favour and use the colorfabb XT Filament, it really is damn good.]]> Yellobello Polymer Working Group Fri, 21 Dec 2018 17:50:39 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,837550#msg-837550 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,487771,837550#msg-837550
We were using an 80C bed with a chamber at close to 55C as we could get it (but at least ~40C).

We now have a program to create a spiral pad of PEEK (better than a brim, with only one start and stop) and then G54 offset the Z by one layer thickness, then start the standard gcode. This removes the need to align and print from a second head for ABS.

And our new models have beds up to 120C (optionally 200C).]]> Davo3 Polymer Working Group Fri, 02 Nov 2018 09:52:19 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,835764,835764#msg-835764 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,835764,835764#msg-835764
I'm wondering whether it's common practice for filament manufacturers to include additives to increase layer adhesion.

Is this the case? If so, do you know what it may be?
I assume it would also vary based on polymer type.

Thanks,
Charles]]> CharlesDesign Polymer Working Group Mon, 08 Oct 2018 12:20:59 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,829110,829110#msg-829110 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,829110,829110#msg-829110
The two possibilities I see are either finding a resin (monomers or short chains) that is itself thermoplastic and would fully polymerize when exposed to UV light, or coming up with a mix of an existing thermoplastic material and a resin where only the resin component would polymerize when exposed to UV light.

Any ideas/suggestions?]]> tmber Polymer Working Group Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:29:36 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,673209,822299#msg-822299 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,673209,822299#msg-822299
[www.youtube.com]

[www.youtube.com]

:S]]> cozmicray Polymer Working Group Tue, 15 May 2018 14:51:06 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,653688,822229#msg-822229 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?184,653688,822229#msg-822229 TPU filament last week, the material is similar as nanjaflex. Hot bed is helpful for the adhesive with first layer. The speed need to be much lower, about 30 mm/sec]]> Barret Cheung Polymer Working Group Mon, 14 May 2018 21:28:58 -0400