Photopolymer is a light-sensitive polymer that becomes solid when exposed to light. It is used in stereolithography, printing, and rapid prototyping, among other applications. Photopolymer is less expensive than real rubber and has advantages over traditional metal plates, including easier design and maintenance. It is also used to create photoresists for circuit boards and other electronics. In rapid prototyping, a three-dimensional prototype is created by solidifying photopolymer liquid with an ultraviolet laser beam.
A photopolymer is a polymer that polymerizes, or becomes solid, when exposed to light. The word polymer means “many parts” and is defined as any material, synthetic or organic, made up of small simple molecules chained together to form one larger molecule. The photopolymer photo denotes its sensitivity to light.
A photopolymer is kept in a liquid state before use. Upon exposure to light, the photopolymer turns into a solid state. Light, or actinic radiation, can be emitted by a laser or a lamp. Compounds that become solid upon exposure to a certain radiation are known to be radiation curable; a photopolymer cures only in light, but other compounds can be equally sensitive to microwaves or thermal radiation. Typically, a photopolymer consists of a complex mixture of compounds, rather than a single element.
One common use of photopolymer is stereolithography, a three-dimensional printing process that fabricates a solid object from a computer image. Photopolymer is used in conjunction with this process to make stamps, as it is less expensive than real rubber. This is achieved with a metal plate coated with photopolymer film and an impression or imprint of the desired image on a transparent surface. The photopolymer plate and image are exposed together to light, usually ultraviolet. The photopolymer is actually “engraved” with the image.
Photopolymer is also used to print lettering and art. A photopolymer printing plate can be used in a print shop and also has some advantages over traditional lead or magnesium plates. Photopolymer plates are easier to design than metal. In addition, they require less maintenance, are more environmentally friendly because they are not attacked by acids and their surface is resistant to abrasion and therefore does not wear out, which ensures a longer service life and a more consistent type. A consumer can use computer design software to set up the type, as well as incorporate any images or artwork and then send a scan to a professional plate maker.
Photopolymer products are also used to create photoresists, which are imprints patterned like those on a circuit board. These photoresists are used in applications such as flat panel displays, printed or integrated circuits, and microelectromechanical systems.
A photopolymer product can also be used to make significantly larger models, such as in rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is the automated construction of a prototype from a three-dimensional drawing. A three-dimensional CAD drawing is uploaded to a computer and optically scanned, and an ultraviolet laser beam solidifies two-dimensional sections of photopolymer liquid in a vat according to the computer’s instructions. The solidified area is then covered with another layer of photopolymer liquid and the process is repeated until a three-dimensional prototype is completed.
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