Synthesis and Characterization of Cardanol-Based Methacrylate Oligomers for Three-Dimensional Printing Resins

A novel bio-based prepolymer methacrylate cardan phenolic polycondensate (MCPP) was successfully synthesized via prepolymerization and methacrylation of cardanol. Its chemical structure was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. MCPP-based three-dimensional (3D) printing resins with excellent coating properties were prepared. The MCPP-based 3D printing resins were cured using digital light processing, while some samples also underwent ultraviolet (UV) postprocessing. MCPP-based 3D-printed products exhibit excellent thermal and mechanical properties, including a glass-transition temperature and thermal stability temperature of 80.2 and 313.0 °C, respectively, along with tensile strength, storage modulus, and hardness values of 38.5 MPa, 5371.8 MPa, and 80.3 HD, respectively. The good performance of the MCPP-based 3D printing resins was attributed to the rigidity of their compact cross-linked structures. This study pioneers a method for the production of photoactive acrylates like cardanol-based methacrylate oligomer resins from renewable, low-cost, aromatic biomass for use in photocurable 3D printing.