The demand for water-washable resin is strong in the field of 3D printing. Bio-based water-washable resin is expected to become the mainstream of the market.

Photosensitive resin refers to a colloidal substance composed of polymer monomers and prepolymers, with a photoinitiator or photosensitizer added. Water-washable resin, also known as water-washable photosensitive resin, refers to photosensitive resin that can be washed directly with water. Compared with ordinary resin, water-washable resin has the advantages of no odor, smooth surface, easy washing, low viscosity, and high printing efficiency. As a 3D printing consumable, it is widely used in medical, education, cultural and creative, automobile, decoration and other fields. According to different matrix resin materials, water-washable resin can be divided into water-washed nylon resin, water-washed polyurethane resin, water-washed polyvinyl alcohol resin, etc.

According to the “China Water-Washable Resin Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2028 released by the Industrial Research Center, water-washed resin Resin is mainly used as 3D printing consumables and has broad application prospects in many fields. In the medical field, water-washable resin can be used to print high-precision medical devices, dental molds, pre-operative models, postoperative repair protective gear, etc.; in the automotive field, water-washable resin can be used to produce car interiors, driving recorders, reversing radars, and car navigation. Instruments, etc.; in the field of decorations, water-washed resin can be used to produce mobile phone decorations, home furnishings, etc. With the rapid development of 3D printing technology, the market prospects of water-washable resin will be broader.

​ ​ ​ Major global water-washable resin manufacturers include FSL Company of the United States, Royal DSM Group of the Netherlands (DSM), Toray Corporation of Japan (Toray), etc. The main water-washable resin manufacturers in my country include Shenzhen Xinjunma Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Nova Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Guanghua Weiye Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Chuangxiang Sandi Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Youde New Material Technology Co., Ltd., and Guangzhou Ledi New Material Technology Co., Ltd., etc. Compared with overseas developed countries, the competitive landscape of my country’s water-washable resin market is relatively fragmented and the industry concentration is low.

In recent years, Chinese companies have continued to increase their investment in research and development of water-washable resins, further accelerating the development of the industry. eSUN, a subsidiary of Shenzhen Guanghua Weiye Co., Ltd., focuses on the research and development, production and sales of 3D printing materials, and has now become a well-known manufacturer in the world. In February 2023, Yisheng successfully prepared bio-based water-washable resin using bio-polylactic acid polyol as raw material. It is expected that in the future, as the national environmental protection policies gradually take effect, the market share of bio-based water-washable resins in my country will increase.

Industry analysts said that water-washable resin, as a subdivided product of photosensitive resin, has the advantages of being odorless and easy to wash, and is used in many fields. Extensive, with the rapid development of 3D printing technology, the market space of water-washable resin will be further expanded. In recent years, benefiting from national policy support and the technological innovation of local enterprises, my country’s water-washable resin industry has gradually developed in a green and environmentally friendly direction, and bio-based water-washable resin is expected to become a mainstream product in the market in the future.