Evonik Enters Photopolymers Segment with New 3D Printing Materials

Within the last couple of years, specialty chemicals company Evonik revealed that it was organizing a range of ready-to-use AM materials, from its Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field, under the relatively new INFINAM brand, which includes the recently launched INFINAM® PEEK 9359 F. Now, the company is entering the photopolymer space with INFINAM TI 3100 L and INFINAM ST 6100 L for industrial 3D printing applications.

“With the new product line, we are entering the market-relevant photopolymer technology stream, strengthening our long-term market position as materials experts for all major polymer-based 3D printing technologies. With the new ready-to-use formulations, we are also continuing our materials campaign and driving industrial-scale 3D printing as manufacturing technology along the entire value chain,” Dr. Dominic Sttörkle, head of the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field at Evonik, stated in a press release.

These two new materials are the beginning of Evonik’s new polymer resin product line, which can be used in common vat polymerization technologies, like digital light processing (DLP) and stereolithography (SLA or SL). By making a move into photopolymers, the company is definitely gaining a stronger long-term position in the AM market.

INFINAM TI 3100 L is a high-performance photopolymer, and Evonik says the properties this material possesses can ensure impact-resistant DLP and SLA 3D printed industrial components with high toughness. Featuring good processability and high mechanical resistance, parts 3D printed with this material measured 30 J/m³ impact resistance and high elongation—120%—at the break. This means that INFINAM TI 3100 L is able to hold up well under permanent mechanical effects or strong impacts, like impact or pressing, and can be used to make parts in the automotive, consumer goods, and industrial sectors.

Evonik’s second new photopolymer resin formulation is INFINAM ST 6100 L, which the company says has high green body strength and great “weatherability.” With flexural stress of 145 MPa, HDT of 120 °C, and tensile strength of 89 MPa, this material could definitely be called high-strength. INFINAM ST 6100 L is durable and tough, and all of these properties combined make it an excellent choice for applications that require high mechanical strength and high temperature resistance.

According to the SmarTech Analysis report “Polymer Additive Manufacturing Markets and Applications: 2020-2029,” some of the major accomplishments and progress reported in polymer AM markets have “been registered in material science and development/optimization of new materials for current technologies,” which definitely describes what Evonik’s been doing.

“With INFINAM® TI 3100 L and INFINAM® ST 6100 L we have brought the group’s first photopolymer materials for additive manufacturing to market maturity. In doing so, we draw on the enormous chemical expertise of our researchers in component development and formulation,” explained Dr. Rainer Hahn, Head of Evonik’s photopolymer market segment in the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Growth Field. “On this basis, we can offer the market a unique product with excellent properties and help our customers to conquer new application areas.”

Evonik’s new range of high-performance, ready-to-use photopolymers can be processed on a variety of common, commercially available SLA and DLP 3D printers. The company will present its newest materials to the industry for the first time at TCT Asia, which will take place live and in-person from May 26-28 at Shanghai’s National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), hall 7.1.

(Source/Images: Evonik)