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Abstract

The use life of windows (e.g., PDMS windows) for 3D SLA printers can be been extended by the incorporation of more polar photoinitiators and higher molecular weight photoinitiators into the resin. The degradation of the window, usually seen as cloudiness, has been shown to be from polymerization of the resin within the window material, and by using either polar or high molecular weight photoinitiators that are much less soluble in the window material, the degradation from polymerization in the window can be greatly reduced, thus extending the life of the window material. The extension of use life for the window when using the photoinitiators described herein can even occur when the resin has significant solubility in the window material, which also allows use of nonpolar resins that often have advantages over polar resins (viscosity and water uptake).

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First Claim