Synthesis of a Liquid Lignin-Based Methacrylate Resin and Its Application in 3D Printing without Any Reactive Diluents

3D printing of bio-based and renewable polymers such as lignin has gained research attention during the last few decades. We report on the synthesis and characterization of a liquid lignin-based photopolymer and its application in additive manufacturing (AM). Wheat straw soda lignin is liquified in an oxyalkylation reaction with propylene oxide under alkaline conditions and modified with methacryloyl chloride to obtain a lignin-based methacrylate resin. Ninety percent of the functional hydroxyl groups are grafted during the synthesis. The photopolymerization efficiency was evaluated by real-time-NIR-photorheology experiments with two different photoinitiators, leading to double bond conversions (DBC) of ≥80%. 3D-printing experiments of the methacrylated lignin were performed with the hot lithography technology. For the first time, a light-curable lignin derivative with a lignin content of over 30% was successfully 3D printed via vat photopolymerization without any reactive diluents, which is a significant improvement over current state-of-the-art solutions. This outstanding result is a motivating proof of concept and a promising starting point for the in-depth evaluation of bio-based precursors as an alternative to nonrenewable derivatives for 3D printing.