Preparation of silicone- bismaleimide photosensitive resin and its application in 3D printing

In recent years, light-curing 3D printing technology has been extensively adopted across various fields due to its advantages, including high precision and efficiency. As the key material in this technology, the properties of photosensitive resin directly influence the mechanical strength, thermal stability, and functional characteristics of the printed parts. Bismaleimide (BMI) resin exhibits excellent heat resistance, dielectric properties, and mechanical strength. However, its inherent brittleness and poor processability have limited its application in 3D printing. To address these challenges, this study synthesized a BAG oligomer containing flexible siloxane segments and photosensitive groups via a Michael addition reaction. This oligomer was incorporated into a photosensitive resin system to develop a novel BMI resin tailored for light-curing 3D printing. The effects of varying BAG content on the resin’s rheological behavior, 3D printing compatibility, mechanical performance, thermal stability, dynamic thermomechanical properties, water absorption, and dielectric characteristics were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that at a BAG oligomer content of 10 wt%, the resin achieved optimal overall performance, with tensile strength and flexural strength reaching 56.9 MPa and 148.8 MPa, respectively. Additionally, impact strength increased continuously with higher BAG content, peaking at 11.5 kJ/m 2 . The maximum decomposition temperature (T max) rose to 421.4°C, accompanied by a notable increase in char residue. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated an increase in storage modulus to 1704.5 MPa and cross-linking density, although the glass transition temperature (T g ) experienced a slight decline. While the addition of BAG marginally elevated the dielectric constant (D k ), it significantly reduced dielectric loss (D f ) to 0.010, underscoring favorable dielectric properties. In summary, this work develops and validates a BMI-based photosensitive resin that simultaneously meets the critical requirements for printability, mechanical performance, thermal stability, and dielectric properties, presenting a formulation with practical potential for broadening the use of BMI in light-curing 3D printing. • A photosensitive resin (BAG) containing organic silicon bismaleimide was synthesized. • The BAG photosensitive resin demonstrates exceptional UV-curing activity enabling high-precision in SLA printing. • The BAG photosensitive resin has excellent mechanical properties and dielectric properties.