https://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Make-Photopolymer-Resin-/10000000205618538/g.html Skip to main content eBay Enter your search keyword Search... Search Hi! Sign in My eBayExpand My eBay How to Make Photopolymer Resin planetblond Like Share August 10, 2015 These days, 3D printers are all the rage, and are being used both in private residences and professional settings from hospitals to car part manufacturers. And while most people will buy the photopolymer resin used to print parts through a commercial manufacturer it can be made in a controlled setting using shelf resins mixed with chemical catalyzers and UV-light to harden the resin mixes. Chemicals The chemicals are used to catalyze the resins and make them harder under UV-light. Some of these chemicals are photoinitiators that start the curing process, while others are activators and accelerators that help speed up the resins curing reaction, while still others are stabilizers that make the pot-life of the mixed resin longer lasting. These are the necessary chemicals: Benzophenone Benzil Benzoinisobutylethe MDEA Resins There are three types of resin that can be used to make photopolymer resin. The first is polyester resin, which are cheap and very easy to purchase. When buying polyester resin look for a substance that is clear with the consistency of syrup. It is important to look for resin that does not have chemicals to catalyze already built in. For instance, avoid resin that comes with a duel component catalyzer like Benzoylperoxide or MEKPeroxide, as this resin will be pre-accelerated and not useful for the UV-catalyzed photopolymer resin. Epoxy resins can also be used. These are usually more expensive than polyester resins, but they also show better hardness properties as well as adhesion and less shrinkage making them easier to work with. Again it is important to buy a pure epoxy resin, not one with fillers. UV Lamps The UV lamps are the third necessary component to making photopolymer resin. The UV lighs are used to cure the resins and harden them. It is important to use the right wavelength to activate the photoinitiators in the chemicals. This will be different depending on the chemical nature of each photoinitiator. In this case, the chemicals being used --Benzophenone, Benzil and Benzoinisobutylether -- are all especially sensible to 2 wavelengths: 256nm and 365nm. 256nm UV-light is in the UV range usually described as UV-C (also called germicidal, or EPROM erasing). While 365nm UV-light is in the UV range known as UV-B (also known as black light or actinic). The brand of lamps used is not important, it is just necessary that they emit a high percentage of wattage in those bands. That said there are not a lot of choices of UV lamps that emit in both peaks simultaneously. The main lamp that does this is the Medium-pressure mercury lamp. These lamps also require a special power source and cooling assembly. LEDs lights are also an option that tends to be more affordable. It is also possible to use fluorescent lights in both frequencies. Recipe Here is a recipe to make the UV-curable resin: For 100g of final resin mix 3g of Benzil 1g of Benzoilisobutylether (BIsoBE) 1g of MDEA 0.5g of EDTA or 0.1g of Hydrochinone complete to 100g with Polyester resin. How to Buy the Products to Make Photopolymer Resin on eBay It is possible to buy much of the necessary ingredients to make photopolymer resin at home on eBay. The chemicals necessary can be purchased by doing a search for the name. It is also very easy to buy the resin itself by searching for "epoxy resin" for instance -- just remember to purchase resin that has not been mixed with fillers. Tags: photopolymer resin3D printer resinepoxy resinpolyester resinUV lamp planetblond Based in United States, planetblond has been an eBay member since Jan 25, 2011 Additional site navigation About eBay Announcements Community Security Center Resolution Center Seller Information Center Policies Affiliates Help & Contact Site Map Copyright © 1995-2017 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. User Agreement, Privacy, Cookies and AdChoice Scroll to top