| Abstract Scope |
Despite its commendable resolution capabilities, Stereolithography 3D Printing (SLA) often falls short in achieving desired material properties compared to alternative additive manufacturing techniques. To address this limitation, one strategy involves nickel electroplating of printed parts, thereby enhancing mechanical strength, heat resistance, and chemical durability. However, this approach introduces a discrepancy in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the resin and the nickel coating, leading to internal stresses and potential part failure when subjected to high temperature fluctuations. In this work, we report the successful development of a noble SLA resin using pre-dispersed amorphous silicon dioxide in cyclo aliphatic epoxy resin that offers high modulus, high strength, low density, and low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE). Tensile, flexural, and impact properties have been evaluated. Dispersion of nanomaterials has been studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) and thermal properties were analyzed using Thermo Mechanical Analysis (TMA). |