This study deals with the laser stereolithography manufacturing feasibility of copper-nickel nanowire-loaded photosensitive resins. The addition of nanowires resulted in a novel resin suitable for additive manufacturing technologies based on layer-by-layer photopolymerization. The pure and nanowire-loaded resin samples were 3D printed in a similar way. Their morphological, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties were characterized. X-ray computed tomography revealed that 0.06 vol % of the composite resin was filled with nanowires forming randomly distributed aggregates. The increase of 57% in the storage modulus and 50% in the hardness when loading the resin with nanowire was attributed to the load transfer. Moreover, the decrease in the glass transition temperature from 57.9 °C to 52.8 °C in the polymeric matrix with nanowires evidenced a decrease in the cross-linking density, leading to a higher mobility of the polymer chains during glass transition. Consequently, this research demonstrates the successful dispersion and use of copper-nickel nanowires as a reinforcement material in a commercial resin for laser stereolithography.
Keywords: additive manufacturing; bulk-functionalization; nanofillers; photopolymer resin; stereolithography.