Towards sustainable 3D Printing: A biodegradable hybrid resin from avocado oil and lignin

Driven by the urgent need to reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics and mitigate environmental impact, this research explores the development of highly biobased, 3D printable resins. This study investigates the fabrication of sustainable 3D printed objects using a novel hybrid resin comprising acrylated avocado oil and lignin-based nanocontainers. Avocado oil, a renewable resource, was successfully acrylated via a one-step reaction, achieving a high grafting rate of 72 %. Lignin-based nanocontainers, synthesized via miniemulsion polymerization, were incorporated into the acrylated avocado oil at 1 and 3 wt% loadings. These hybrid resins demonstrated excellent 3D printability using LCD-SLA technology. Characterization techniques, including FT-IR, 1H NMR, TGA, DSC, OM, and AFM, confirmed the successful acrylation and incorporation of nanocontainers. Notably, the 3D printed objects exhibited good thermal stability and showed promising biodegradability in a compost. This research represents a significant step towards the development of biobased, environmentally friendly 3D printing materials for a wide range of applications.