POS7-1370
Incorporation of Acrylated Chitosan into a Photocurable Resin for Enhanced Mechanical Performance in Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D Printing
Topic
S7. Innovations in Polymeric Composites: From Design and Processing to Industrial Applications
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Pawarit Chumpon (Seoul National University, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Digital Light Processing (DLP) has emerged as a promising additive manufacturing technology for fabricating high-resolution polymeric components. However, most commercial photocurable resins are petroleum-based and lack intrinsic biofunctionality. In this study, acrylated chitosan (A-CS) was synthesized through methacrylation of chitosan to introduce photocurable functional groups into a commercial photocurable resin (TA-28). The successful modification was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which revealed the characteristic ester carbonyl (C=O) absorption associated with methacrylate grafting. The effect of nitrogen reaction time on A-CS synthesis was also investigated, demonstrating that prolonged reaction beyond the optimum duration reduced grafting efficiency due to undesirable side reactions. Photocurable resin formulations containing 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10 wt% A-CS were fabricated using DLP 3D printing. Flexural properties were evaluated by three-point bending tests at various specimen thicknesses. The results showed that flexural strength increased with specimen thickness for all formulations. The resin containing 0.01 wt% A-CS exhibited the highest flexural strength at lower thicknesses, while all formulations achieved flexural strengths exceeding 80 MPa at the ISO standard specimen thickness. The incorporation of A-CS enhanced the flexural performance of thin DLP-printed structures while maintaining excellent printability, demonstrating its potential for lightweight structural applications requiring high mechanical strength at reduced thickness. Furthermore, the intrinsic antibacterial properties of chitosan, together with the improved mechanical performance, demonstrate the potential of the developed resin for customized DLP-printed medical devices, such as orthopedic splints and other temporary biomedical components.
