The young researcher from the School of Natural of Far Eastern Federal University was given Presidential Grant. This is to support the growth of photopolymer silicone fast curing in the procedure of additive manufacturing.
Such material is a good one for printing medicinal implants, contact lenses, gear, for the uses of the automotive and sports sectors. It is also helpful in other areas where flexible and long-lasting with complicated configuration are needed.
Currently, nearly all detail’s making accessible through additive manufacturing. But silicone printing technology yet does not attain the sector rules. Unlike metal hardening and plastic, silicone curing is poor. It is hard to print out the silicone part in the required form.
Therefore, all silicone gear has been made by casting, molding, and injection molding techniques. In case the piece is large or has a compact form, such techniques aren’t affordable and convenient.
Mikhail Tutov, the FEFU young scientist has proposed creating a new photopolymer silicone for additive manufacturing. The compound will include technical silicone and unique solidified additives like photoactive materials. This will bind silicone under ultraviolet radiation during printing.
In case effective, medical and other sectors will get a special composition of the photopolymer silicone. This is for quickly and effortlessly printing out any needed equipment.
“We want silicone polymer freezes under ultraviolet radiation, which will allow us applying such development in industrial 3D machines. The polymer should be optically transparent, liquid enough and stable in the long-term. However, for silicones, such conditions are difficult to achieve. There is just news on the Internet on similar developments, but we have not been able to find a real polymer with such properties anywhere in the market.
The main problem is that there are very few dissolving-in- silicone compounds. We need to make up such additives that will dissolve in silicone and ensure its curing under UV irradiation”, says Mikhail Tutov, the project manager.
According to reports, the FEFU researcher intends to create photoactive functional additives. This is depending on the likely composites of dendrimers that are polymers. And they are those that have multiple molecules structure that is similar to a tree crown with big several parts. There are several functional groups at the ends of the parts and the researchers can deal with the.
As stated by Mikhail Tutov, the most cumbersome and financially needing work procedure will be the finest dendrimeric molecules synthesis. But the last composition will be affordable. This is because a comparably photoactive additive small amount will be needed for the complete silicone volume.
In the compound, the scientist intends to utilize industrially present silicone changed based on the test needs. This makes the last creation profitable and affordable.
Also, the researcher stated that the making of medical implants is not a question. Initially, one requires to create an approach to a strategy to make silicones that are well matched for additive manufacturing.
After that, the other thing is to get medicine rank silicone for the attainment of absolute biocompatibility.
