Cork photocurable resin composite for stereolithography (SLA): Influence of cork particle size on mechanical and thermal properties

It is well known that 3D printing has burst onto the scene as a disruptive technology set to revolutionize the way consumer goods are manufactured. This is why the search for new materials that combine the use of natural resources with 3D printing technology has recently become increasingly significant. Finding an alternative use for waste biomass as an additive to develop new materials that can be used in 3D printing is an added benefit to the environmental advantages of 3D printing. For the first time, we report the feasibility of using cork powder to formulate a new photo-curable resin composite that can be used in stereolithography (SLA), a vat photopolymerization technique. The mechanical and thermal properties of the new composite and the influence of the cork particle size on these properties have been studied. Mechanical and thermal properties improve with the decrease of the particle size; this effect is more pronounced in the thermal stability of the composites. The results obtained in this work open the possibility of designing new photocurable composites using waste biomass as additives.