On January 23, 2022, researchers at the University of Michigan (UD) published a new research paper exploring thebiologyquality into new3D printingEconomical approach to materials.The paper focuses on lignin, a waste material used to make paper products, demonstrating the efficient conversion of it into bio-based3D printingResin is possible, and they claim this method is competitive with similar petroleum products.
Thomas Epps, project leader at UD, said: “Specific technical means can not only break down and convert lignin into useful products, but also keep the cost below petroleum materials and reduce the cost of lignin. The impact of the environment, this is an area that has not been explored before.”
△ University of Michigan researchers and colleagues are working on a bio-resin for 3D printing. Image via Paula Pranda
Reuse of lignin for 3D printing
Lignin is a chemical that provides strength and stiffness to plant cell walls, and plants continuously produce lignin to protect themselves from predators. As a result, lignin is a widely available resource, with pulp and parts mills around the world producing around 100 million tons of technical lignin waste each year, and numerous universities and research institutes are trying to innovate in the reuse of lignin.
In 2020, researchers at the University of Freiburg combined lignin with cellulose to develop their own eco-friendly wood 3D printing material.Biosynthetic polymers in lightweightarchitectureor potential use in industrial applications. MIT scientists have developed their own lab-grown wood cells with lignin-enhanced walls that could form the basis of a new, more sustainable 3D printed biomaterial. Although still in its early stages, in the future the research could become a means of 3D printing eco-friendly furniture or producing synthetic wood in response to the growing global deforestation crisis.The most notable developments in this area areDesktop MetalNew Forest wood launched in the middle of last year 3D printing technology.The process combines by-products of wood waste such as lignin and sawdust to create a sustainable solution compatible with its binder jetting technology3D printing materials.
△ Researchers at the University of Freiburg use DIW 3D printing technology(Pictured) tested their new eco-friendly wood base3D printing materials
Economical way to improve lignin
What sets UD research apart from other research in the field is its focus on improving the economics of the production process. One of the main disadvantages of upgrading lignin is that many existing processes need to operate at very high temperatures, making them expensive and difficult to scale. Current industrial technologies also come with safety concerns associated with traditional solvents, temperature or pressure. To address these challenges, the UD research team replaced methanol with glycerol to allow the process to operate at normal atmospheric pressure. Glycerin is an inexpensive raw material commonly used in liquid cosmetics, soaps and shampoos for moisturizing properties, but can also be used to break down lignin into other chemical components, from which a variety of bio-based products can be produced, such as 3D printing resin composition. Replacing methanol with glycerol provides the same chemical functionality but with a much lower vapor pressure, eliminating the need for a closed system. This allows researchers to complete the reaction and separation steps of the process at the same time, resulting in a more cost-effective system.
Operating at atmospheric pressure is not only safer, but also provides a straightforward path to scale up the method from small batches to continuous operation, according to the researchers, which they say will create more cheaper, faster, and less labor-intensive Material.
△ 3D printing of “UD” using bio-resin in a commercially available SLA printer
Committed to applying 3D printing to environmental protection and realizing more economical reproduction methods, such as Stratasys using PA11 derived from castor oil to achieve environmentally friendly production, the Tokyo Olympics used waste plastic to print podiums, and scientists recycle construction waste for environmental protection 3D printing materials and more
△The Tokyo Olympics uses waste plastic to print the podium
(responsible editor: admin)
0 Comments for “Researchers use lignin for sustainable 3D printing from an economic point of view”