DSM Somos Introduces Clear SL Resin Technology

By DE Editors

DSM Somos (Elgin,  IL) announced the commercial availability of WaterClear Ultra, which it describes as a highly clear, colorless stereolithography (SL) resin; in color comparison testing, WaterClear Ultra was shown to be the clearest SL resin available on the market today.

Using a colorimeter (an instrument used to measure the amount of color and light able to pass through plastic), percent light transmission values were compared between WaterClear Ultra and various plastic samples, including a competitive polycarbonate-like SL resin and two commonly used clear engineering plastics: polycarbonate and acrylic. Transmission data (see data in Table 1)  showed WaterClear Ultra closely mirrored the behavior of the high clarity acrylic and demonstrated higher clarity than the commercial grade polycarbonate sheet.

In the automotive sector, beta test feedback on WaterClear Ultra includes assessments that the resin’s clarity resembles that of milled acrylic in both thin and thick sections.

For more details on color comparison test data for WaterClear Ultra, log on to DSM Somos.

Sources:  Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.