3D Printing Research

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are taking a closer look at metal halide perovskites, which when combined with 3D printing, can enable a new breed of high-performance solar batteries. Metal halide perovskite materials have gained traction over the past decade due to their ability to convert solar light into electrical energy: a process known as photovoltaic conversion. Unlike many before it, the new study leverages advanced equipment at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) to investigate the structure of metal halide perovskites. Crucially, the research also dives into how this structure interacts with phenomena such as ions in motion to actually generate electrical energy from light. The team believes its work could enable the design of more efficient and more robust solar-cell batteries and other photovoltaic devices, including 3D printed ones. “These materials have mostly been studied under static conditions,” explains Yongtao Liu, lead author of the…    read more 

A team of researchers from Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Waseda University has trialed the use of soybean waste to reduce obesity in rats.  The researchers found that fermented soybean waste, or okara, has the potential to improve fat metabolism and mitigate the effects of diet-induced obesity, while also addressing issues of food waste.  Alongside the trial, the team successfully formulated okara into an eco-friendly 3D printable ink, which they say could pave the way for food 3D printing to improve food sustainability. “Our findings suggest that fermented okara could help mitigate the harmful effects of a high-fat diet, and could potentially be integrated in the diets of obese patients who find it difficult to make immediate lifestyle changes,” said Dr Ken Lee, Senior Lecturer at the NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Addressing obesity with okara Okara is a major by-product of soymilk and tofu production,…    read more 

Surface treatment specialist FerroECOBlast, together with the Jožef Stefan Institute (Slovenia) and Joanneum Research Centre (Austria), has investigated the effects of shot peening on the fatigue strength of metal 3D printed parts. Surface treatments are an important part of the 3D printing workflow and often happen in the post-processing phase after a build is complete. There are a wide variety of surface treatments available today, each with its own use case. For example, there are treatments for smoothing out part surfaces, boosting mechanical properties like strength, and increasing durability by way of wear, corrosion, or heat resistance. Shot peening, otherwise known as cold micro-forging, is one such surface treatment. Often used on metal parts in critical industries like aerospace or automotive, shot peening works by striking a surface with a granular ‘shot’ material (blast media) to produce a compressive residual stress layer and enhance the mechanical strength of a part….    read more 

Researchers from Politecnico di Milano and Humanitas University are investigating the causes and development of neural diseases like Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) using 3D printed neural tissues. The project has been granted €250,000 by Fondazione Cariplo as part of a call for projects under the banner “Biomedical research conducted by young researchers 2021”, and involves creating an in vitro model of the human cerebral cortex with 3D bioprinted vascularized neural tissues.  “Our final objective is to lay the foundations to understand the various diseases that affect neural development in order to favor the identification of therapeutic strategies,” said Mattia Sponchioni of Politecnico di Milano and project coordinator. “This has been unthinkable to date.”  Schematic representation of the project objective: to create a 3D model of the cerebral cortex by 3D bioprinting of cells derived from cortical organoids. Image via Politecnico di Milano. Investigating the causes of PTHS PTHS is a rare…    read more 

Researchers from Zhejiang University, China, have developed a new method of 3D printing electronic circuits using liquid metal microgels. The novel approach involves encapsulating liquid metal microdroplets (specifically gallium) in alginate-based microgel shells to create a 3D printable and recyclable liquid metal microgel (LMM) ink. According to the team, the LMM ink solves many of the processability issues associated with raw liquid metals, enabling the printing of flexible electronics onto a wide variety of surfaces. The Zhejiang researchers have already used their low-cost formulation to 3D print a near-field communication (NFC) tag onto a T-shirt, paving the way for smart e-clothing. A T-shirt with an NFC tag 3D printed on the front. Photo via Zhejiang University. Working with liquid metals You may have heard the term ‘liquid metal’ before – it’s used to describe metals that have melting points around room temperature, meaning they tend to come in a liquid…    read more