A team of Japanese researchers has developed a 3D printing resin that can be melted and reused more than ten times without needing additional chemicals. The key lies in its dual behavior: it hardens with blue light and returns to a liquid state when heated. For the average user, this translates into cheaper parts and a notable reduction in technological waste.
How this reversible resin works 🧪
The material belongs to the family of vitrimeric polymers. Its molecular structure allows bonds to break and reorganize under specific stimuli. When blue light is applied, the chains crosslink and solidify the resin. If it is then heated, those bonds dissociate and the material regains its original fluidity. The process can be repeated at least ten cycles without appreciable degradation, according to data from the study published by Yokohama University.
The wet dream of every filament hoarder 😅
Finally, an excuse not to throw away that deformed piece you printed at three in the morning. Now you can melt it down and give it another chance, as if the resin had reincarnations. Of course, be careful not to leave your coffee cup on top of the printer: you might wake up with a liquid coaster. Good thing science allows us to be clumsy more often without the planet charging us for it.