June 2019
3D PRINTERS AND WOOD FLOURS - 100% organic 3D objects - No synthetic material used
We are really proud to see the results of the complex research carried out by the "Institute of Chemistry of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem" with the materials provided by La.So.Le. East.
The 3D objects made of 100% wooden components are 3D printed using wood flour microparticles dispersed in a matrix formed by cellulose and xylglucan nanocrystals.
The research, published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies [1] is supported by explanations, data and tests of various kinds to give feedback to this absolute novelty. The full version of the document can be downloaded from the magazine's website.
In fact, up to this moment, it was never possible to use only wood, without any synthetic bond, for 3D printing. In printed objects, wood flour is "glued" with extracted wood components, replacing virgin wood. 3D printing is used to maximize the conversion of low added value materials, considered to be waste or result, into final products that present the visual, material and physical properties of natural wood. It is expected that the innovative printing approaches and the compositions of the materials presented will give a new impetus to the field of additive manufacturing, to overcome the traditional barriers of the wood industry and to further exploit the wood by-products.
As Doron Kam - PhD student - wrote to us << … in the paper we present a bottom-up approach using wood flour, with cellulose nanocrystals and xyloglucan, which are extracted from wood, that builds-up wood objects through two 3D printing process, extrusion and inkjet. Depending on the printing technology, a wide range of material properties is obtained, from strong dense objects, to light cellular structure. Results show that indeed each technique with its own pros and cons mimic wood, while gaining the wide range of wood properties and beyond.
Currently, we are looking in to several directions from tackling fundamental scientific questions, improving printed objects and finding new innovated applications, and as always looking for productive collaborations. >>.
WE LAUNCH A STRONG IDEA FOR COMPANIES AND RESEARCH CENTERS INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING OR INVESTING IN THIS PROJECT.
Sara Garzitto
References:
[1] Advanced Materials Technologies, Wiley Online Library, Additive Manufacturing of 3D Structures Composed of Wood Materials,
First published: 11 June 2019 - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/admt.201900158