3D printing molding of UV‐curing liquid silicone rubber by UV follow curing

Abstract Silicone rubber is renowned for its excellent mechanical properties and high biocompatibility. 3D printing enables the realization of more complex structures and the development of more flexible and diverse functions, providing more opportunities and a more comprehensive range of applications in aerospace, biomedical, flexible wearable, soft robotics, and other fields. However, silicone rubber is often hindered by poor rheology and low curing efficiency, which significantly affects the forming performance of the parts. Therefore, this study introduces a UV‐follow curing method for direct ink writing (UFC‐DIW) utilizing UV‐curable silicone rubber. First, a kind of liquid silicone rubber (UV‐LSR) capable of rapid curing under UV light was synthesized, both its curing kinetics and rheological behavior were thoroughly investigated. Then, UV‐LSR inks with lower shear stress were printed using the UFC‐DIW method. A comparative analysis was conducted between the overall structure produced via UFC‐DIW and parts molded through postprinting integral curing methods. The results show that while parts cured postprinting exhibit deformation correlated with printing height, those fabricated using UFC‐DIW maintain structural integrity without deformation. It demonstrates that the UFC‐DIW method can effectively improve the formability of the parts.