The production of plastic products by means of 3D printing technology has become a regular practice of many an engineer. However, the applicability and reliability of 3D printed products are often inextricably linked to the toughness and strength of photosensitive resin materials, making the development of materials with both high strength and high toughness a current focus of research.
Evonik, a strategic partner of UnionTech, has launched INFINAM® TI 5400 L, an ultra-high toughness white photosensitive resin that combines "stiffness and rigidity" with exceptional toughness, making it a successful material for 3D printing that is both "rigid and tough"!
INFINAM® TI 5400 L is characterised by a high degree of ductility when stretched or bent within a certain range, and a high degree of ductility when stretched beyond a certain range, for example to a filamentary state without fracture.
In everyday use, the material is intuitively described as a "hard white printed part" that can withstand tens of thousands of drops and bends without breaking, and can reach a maximum elongation at break of 200% using different production methods. The material is a milky white liquid, and after the polymerisation reaction triggered by the 3D printer, the printed part takes on the characteristics of a polymer, with certain similarities to traditional plastics: balanced mechanical properties, good dimensional stability, less deformation, easy surface coating, etc.
The material is suitable for use in common SLA and DLP, LCD light-curing printing devices.
Typical application areas
The combination of stiffness and toughness of this material allows it to replace some of the traditional PE, PVC and ABS plastics in light duty, everyday room temperature applications for plastic toys, product housings, accessories, medical protection, etc;
At the same time, this resin product can be sculpted by light-curing printers to create delicate and clever features and appearances on a pixel-by-pixel basis, while having advantages that traditional plastics do not have, such as the ease of manufacturing complex structures, short production cycles and designs that take into account diversity and individuality. The 3D printer is also easy to operate, quick to get started, flexible in its production mode allowing for quick adjustments and a more environmentally friendly production environment than rapid moulding or machining operations. These advantages greatly reduce the difficulty of managing personnel and further increase factory efficiency.
In more straightforward terms, the main limitation of this material is its HDT of only 55 degrees Celsius, which means that the product will soften when it reaches 55 degrees Celsius and may be deformed if stressed, but will regain its rigid properties if the temperature drops below 55 degrees Celsius.
Performance parameters
Tensile strength（MPa） 40
Young's modulus（MPa） 1600
Elongation at break 200%
Cantilever Beam Notched Impact Strength J/m 30
Hardness （Shore D） 71
Heat deflection temperature (HDT) @0.455MPa 55
Cleaning treatment
Dipropylene glycol methyl ether (TPM) with ultrasound is recommended as the best cleaning method. The advantages are that each kilogram of TPM can clean 100 parts without replacement, it is non-toxic and non-hazardous, not flammable and explosive control products, and easy to purchase. As the common cleaning solvent used by domestic users is alcohol, it is recommended to use it together with ultrasound. Both cleaning methods have more pieces than alcohol and are less volatile. In large quantities, TPM can be used at a lower cost per piece than alcohol.
Strong colouring
The product is easy to apply and is suitable for common paints such as water-based paints.
Operating procedures
After shaking the resin bottle, mixing and de-bubbling, pouring it into the tank and setting the template parameters for 3D printing, ready for printing. After printing, the print is removed from the platform using tools such as a scraper or spatula, and the support is removed, possibly by cutting the connection between it and the sample with tweezers. The sample is cleaned and the curing process is carried out.
