Beyond nature
3D Printing with hygroscopic material like wood
3D Printing with hygroscopic material like wood. This will be a unique material for 3D printing because it tends to absorb moisture from the air. The researchers aimed to mimic the natural behavior of wood, which expands and contracts in response to changes in humidity. To achieve this, the researchers used a multi-material 3D printing approach, in which a hygroscopic material is printed with an auxiliary material that controls its expansion and contraction. The resulting structure is a wood-like material that responds to changes in humidity, similar to natural wood.
The article also discusses the potential applications of 3D-printed wood, such as creating sustainable and customizable furniture and building materials. The authors note that this technology could reduce waste and energy consumption in manufacturing and enable new design possibilities.
This is the innovative use of 3D printing technology to mimic the behavior of natural materials and create new materials with unique properties.
Beyond nature, 3D printed Wood tissue.
3D-Printed Wood: Programming Hygroscopic Material Transformations.
Beyond nature, 3D Printed Wood tissue
According to Professor Paul Gatenholm, who has led this research within Chalmers University of Technology’s Wallenberg Wood Science Centre, and researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden,” have succeeded in 3D printing with a wood-based ink in a way that mimics the unique ‘ultrastructure’ of wood. Their research could revolutionize the manufacturing of green products. Through emulating the natural cellular architecture of wood, they now present the ability to create green products derived from trees with unique properties – everything from clothes, packaging, and furniture to healthcare and personal care products.
This is a breakthrough in manufacturing technology. It allows us to move beyond the limits of nature to create new sustainable, green products. It means that those products which today are already forest-based can now be 3D printed in a much shorter time. And the metals and plastics currently used in 3D printing can be replaced with a renewable, sustainable alternative.”
Materials from trees assembled by 3D printing – Wood tissue beyond nature limits.
3D-printing breakthrough paves the way for printed “wooden” products.