Evaluation of a Biobased Resin with Micro- or Nanocrystalline Cellulose for 3D-Printing Application

This work aims at designing, developing, and fully characterizing a bio-resin system suitable for stereolithography application. The biobased resin was composed of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), and varying concentrations of micro- or nanocellulose crystals (MCC and CNC). The unfilled optimal mixture was achieved with 80 wt.% of AESO, which showed the highest tensile strength, elongation at break, and biobased content, as well as a low swelling in water. Furthermore, the addition of increasing amounts of MCC and CNC did not affect the resin optical properties, still improving its tensile strength, Young’s modulus and ensuring the preparation of high quality printed parts. These findings demonstrated the potential of the fillers as reinforcements.