研究人员来自Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing在德国开发出一种可持续的新型3D印刷材料，不可渗透昆虫垃圾。
Using the powdered wood particles and feces left by the minuscule bugs after feeding, the scientists were able to concoct a unique circular economy feedstock, which could be binder jet 3D printed without any polymeric additives. The bio-based material yielded parts with a low level of strength but high dimensional accuracy, potentially making it ideal for creating eco-friendly filigree structures in future.
From faecal matter to feedstock
As the world continues to seek out sustainable manufacturing solutions, 3D printing is often touted within the industry as more eco-friendly than traditional production methods. Despite this, the widespread use of oil-based photopolymers remains a challenge to the technology’s green credentials, and necessitates the creation of a circular alternative.
Natural feedstocks aren’t just better for the planet, but they enable users to determine the life cycle of products early-on during production, and adjust their throughput accordingly. Such homebrewed materials can also be formulated by recycling refuse from the factory floor, lending them potential as both a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
Given that binder jetting is able to process virtually all powdered feedstocks, the technology has often been utilized as a means of testing such novel formulations. However, refining these materials into powders with an appropriate particle size remains challenging. To combat this, the German scientists have therefore identified a newly-optimized pellet, but in the unlikeliest of sources: the termite.
昆虫的消化系统将非均匀的树林转化为紧凑的纤维素 - 木质素混合物，（原样）适用于3D打印而无需进一步加工。虽然先前的木材基原料需要印刷的聚合物添加剂或使用其他结合阶段，但白蚁不会易于易于易于处理。
3D打印与白蚁泥
To create their wood-based feedstock, the scientists reared a small farm of European House Borers (EHBs) and termites, feeding them for six months while collecting their droppings. As it turned out, all of the termites’ six-sided pellet-shaped faecal matter proved to be almost identical in size, and showed excellent flowability, making them ideal for fabricating uniform layers.
一旦他们有足够的原材料，该团队使用商业3D打印机的热固化站将它们交叉链接ExOne粘合剂，产生一组立方标本。有趣的是，通过改变系统的粘合饱和度参数，研究人员能够识别具有可调节孔隙率水平的结构的比率。
In terms of layer thickness, the best reproducible result that could be achieved with the termite droppings was 800 μm, while the EHB proved more accurate at 100 μm. Likewise, the team’s dice-like structure featured a dimensional accuracy of around 200 μm, but it also suffered from oversaturation, in addition to low packing density.
As a result, the part exhibited low mechanical strength, and although the scientists theorized that infiltration could bolster its solidity, they conceded that their material was not well-suited to printing “ready-to-use objects.” In spite of this, the researchers still consider EHB frass to hold potential as a feedstock for creating filigree structures, albeit with the need for reinforcing via post-processing.
可持续性的添加剂创新
在去年，研究人员在调查3D印刷的生态影响方面取得了相当大的进展，并确定了新的更多圆形材料。
一个基于的团队弗赖堡大学have developed anovel wood-based 3D printing materialof their own. By combining naturally-sourced lignin with cellulose balls, the scientists were able to create a unique bio-polymer that could prove useful within light construction applications.
研究人员来自Wichita State,University of KansasandKansas State Universityhave joined forces to develop a data algorithm forexploring the potential of sustainable materials。Using data analytics, computational approaches and diagnostic tools, the team aims to make eco-friendly feedstocks more accessible.
Elsewhere, scientists from theUniversidade Nova de Lisboa（Unidemi）强调了需要further research into 3D printing’s circularity。该团队的文献综述表明，聚合物工厂垃圾可容纳减少废物输出的特殊潜力，并可将来用作再生材料。
The researchers’ findings are detailed in their paper titled “寻找生物原料材料：3D距离House Borer和Drywood白蚁的木颗粒印刷。” The research was co-authored by Rudy Plarre, Andrea Zocca, Andrea Spitzer, Sigrid Benemann, Anna A. Gorbushina, Yuexuan Li, Anja Waske, Alexander Funk, Janka Wilbig and Jens Günster.
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特色图片显示三个Drywood白蚁。照片通过Plos一个日记。
