Nature-inspired resins for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) methodologies, such as stereolithography (SLA), can be utilized to make high precision parts at quick rates. SLA is a photoreactive process, whereby a liquid, light-sensitive resin is strategically photopolymerized in a layer-wise fashion. The utilization of natural resources for the development of SLA-ready materials is of general interest to society, as the majority of SLA resins that are widely available are derived from petrochemical resources. Research has shown that, depending on the bio-based source utilized, naturally-derived monomers, resins, and polymers exhibit unique characteristics based on their molecular architecture, which is useful in satisfying certain operational requirements based on the intended use of the final material. Yet, most applications demand that several performance characteristics be fulfilled simultaneously. Therefore, in this chapter, we demonstrate the combination of bio-based resources, cashew nutshell liquid, lignin, and carbohydrates, each with their own unique molecular architectures that satisfy certain performance attributes, to ascertain the effect of combining natural resources for the development of well-rounded, SLA-ready materials.