3D Printing Materials

Cornell University, alongside its start-up Dimensional Energy and Lithoz, has been awarded a grant to develop novel ceramics that could be used to 3D print parts of clean energy reactors.  Having raised $50,000 in funding, researchers at the firms are now aiming to come up with a new type of ceramic that’s better able to withstand the high temperatures of thermocatalytic reactors in operation. Using computer modeling and 3D printing, the team say it could be possible to layer the resulting material into structures, shaped specifically to improve both resilience and reactor CO2 conversion rates.   “Excellent thermal properties and corrosion resistance make ceramics attractive for these reactors, but significant design constraints limit their actual performance,” said Sadaf Sobhani, the Cornell University Assistant Professor leading the program. “The freedom of design and choice of materials enabled by ceramic additive manufacturing will narrow the theory-performance gap to hit desired milestones.” Dimensional Energy…    read more 

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a novel wood-based 3D printing material that can morph into pre-designed shapes.  Made from a mixture of wood flour and plant extracts, the eco-friendly feedstock is able to shapeshift due to the fiber orientations in its wood content, which cause it to warp as it dries. While the team developed their material a few years ago, they recently discovered that by controlling the way it’s laid down, they could time how its moisture content evaporates, in a way that allows it to form complex objects.  Thus far, the scientists have 3D printed their wood-infused ink into saddle, dome and helix-shaped models, but with further development, they say it could be used to create more intricate self-assembling objects such as household furniture.  Wood’s unique morphing potential  In the natural world, it’s well known that certain species of plant and animal life can…    read more 

Oryx Additive has announced the launch of a new chemical cleaning agent for removing support material from Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printed parts.  Developed in-house by the company’s team of US engineers, src1 is said to work efficiently and rapidly, dissolving support material at twice the speed of other cleaning agents. Oryx Additive says its product has the potential to “set a new standard for FDM post-printing,” particularly among 3D printing bureau, lab and industrial adopters.  “We listened to our customers, understood the needs for industrial additive manufacturing and found that current technology limits the ability to maximize support removal, and with this, src1 was born,” explained Keith Jeffcoat, CEO of Oryx Additive. “We’re happy to release another trusted product with solid results.” Introducing Support Removal Chemistry Oryx Additive’s Support Removal Chemistry or ‘src1’ cleaning agent has been developed from the ground up to allow users to dissolve the…    read more 

IperionX, a North Carolina-based advanced materials enterprise, has announced a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The work concerns improving the utilization of low-cost alloys using IperionX-developed spherical powder based on its titanium processing technology. With a mission to become “a leading developer of US-based sustainable critical mineral and critical material supply chains, ” IperionX hopes the collaboration accelerates a “new age of American industry.” Anastasios (Taso) Arima, IperionX’s CEO and Managing Director, said, “We are extremely pleased to be working with ORNL. The laboratory is an ideal partner for IperionX, with expertise in additive manufacturing, along with a strong interest in identifying new powder feedstocks that lower costs and increase energy efficiency, particularly in transportation.” The user agreement was signed to facilitate the work of ORNL and IperionX within the DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) located at ORNL. The MDF is a 110,000…    read more 

Selecting the right material for security drones is crucial. This is an area CRP Technology, a provider of 3D printing services and materials, specializes in as it’s long been a player in the 3D printed surveillance drone market. CRP has created a whole range of Windform TOP-LINE fiber-reinforced composites dedicated to selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. The mechanical performances and durability offered by Windform materials improve the operations of premium surveillance UAVs by adding a whole new range of vital capabilities.  The firm also sees a synergistic relationship between industrial additive manufacturing and drone technologies, with both spheres evolving at rapid rates. Product designers are finding 3D printing to be an extremely valuable tool when it comes to fabricating custom end-use drone parts that provide bespoke functionalities for unique scenarios. Windform can provide a whole host of benefits to 3D printed drone products. Image via CRP Technology. The power of…    read more