When it comes to 3D printing, the diverse materials used are essential. Whether plastic, metal, or ceramics, these materials differ from traditional ones. These materials are now widely used, yet there are still many “raw” materials that will surprise you and make you exclaim, “I didn’t know it could be used this way!” Based on this, 3Dnatives has selected 12 of the most unique 3D printing materials that inspire the best creative ideas.
When chocolate is mentioned, smiles naturally appear on people’s faces. What you may not know is that it is possible to print chocolate using FDM. During the printing process, each layer is a certain thickness of chocolate, but the printing speed is slow and takes a long time because the temperature during printing is kept low (to preserve the flavor of the chocolate). The famous American chocolate brand Hershey’s is developing a 3D printer called Cocojet, along with a corresponding 3D printing system.
Everyone wants to be remembered in a special way when they leave this world. Chinese artist Zhufei satisfies this requirement with a wonderful idea. He uses ashes as printing material to create statues of deceased individuals. The entire process takes only three hours, after which family members can take the completed statue home. This idea is somewhat shocking but can help people preserve memories of their departed loved ones.
From food to beverages, beer is quite versatile. The American fiber manufacturer 3Dom is known for its bio-materials based on coffee and hemp. Recently, they developed long fibers made from beer. The rapidly running long fibers have the natural color of beer, with the main raw materials being PLA and the waste generated during beer brewing. A 500g spool of long fiber sold by 3D-Fuel costs $39.99 (about £32). Now you can make beer mugs from your favorite beer, how incredible is that?
The Solar Sinter is a 3D printer invented by Markus Kay, whose goal is to create a 3D printer that meets the current demand for resource conservation. The device uses laser sintering technology, first heating the material with solar radiation, using sand from the desert. After solar heating, the layers are sintered to create the final product. Both the raw material and the process are environmentally friendly, and we need more inventions like this!
3D Systems, which launched ChefJet Pro in 2015, is the only company that uses sugar (in powdered form) as a material. They wanted to use 3D printed sugar to decorate the Versailles cream cake, showcasing the potential of the device. A few months ago, a student from MIT, Victor Leugn, collaborated with a Chinese company to develop 3D sugar sculptures, inspired by the production of glass, discovering that sugar shares very similar properties with glass.
In the United States, 259 million tires are discarded every year, becoming a major source of pollution globally. To address this issue, a California-based company decided to repurpose them into raw materials for 3D printing. They used selective laser sintering technology and powder obtained from recycled tires to create an item called “Rubber Pouff,” believing this method can be promoted to other companies.
Italian manufacturer Barilla showcased their first 3D pasta printer. This printer can shape pasta in just two minutes. This device is primarily aimed at the catering industry, and the manufacturer claims it is perfect for restaurants and pasta lovers. The raw materials required for printing are water and flour, using FDM technology to layer the dough into the desired shape. Currently, the device is still in the prototype stage, with the manufacturer hoping to release the finalized equipment later this year.
Micron3DP from Israel (in collaboration with MIT) showcased 3D glass printing technology a few months ago and is preparing for commercialization. Glass has excellent properties required by the medical and aerospace industries, such as enhanced chemical inertness, biocompatibility, and easy sterilization. To achieve transparency, the printer needs to heat up to 1640°C (2984°F). The printing of target components is mainly done through fused deposition technology. The high temperatures impose certain limitations on the entire manufacturing process.
Chia-Ling Lin and Maria Nelson co-founded Gumlab.uk, the UK’s first 3D printed gum company. They use a device called GumJet, which is a classic 3-axis FDM printer but with different raw materials. So what raw materials are used? You may have already guessed from the title, it’s gum base. During the printing process, various flavorings are added to the gum base to achieve different flavors in the final product. The printing is done by extruding and layering. The designers claim that the printed gum tastes the same as traditionally made gum, but the texture is different; you’ll understand that unique texture between layers as soon as you try it.
Corks are usually used as stoppers for wine bottles (about 80% of corks are used for this purpose). A Dutch company, Colorfabb, discovered that cork fibers can be used as 3D printing material. This material, called CorkFill, can be used in any FDM 3D printer without any special technical requirements, such as temperature. This fiber can typically be printed at 210°-230°C (410°-446°F).
Following the original fibers, Colorfabb has also targeted bamboo, a plant closely associated with pandas and abundant in China’s forests. Bamboo is hollow and grows quickly. This material, called BabooFill, is made by mixing PLA/PHA with bamboo fibers, is 100% organic, has excellent adhesion and isotropic properties, and has a pleasant scent, reminiscent of popcorn after printing.
The French design company Texilis focuses on innovation around linen. They designed a linen-based 3D printing fiber that can be used in various contexts, such as construction, leisure, and 3D printing. This fiber is PLA-based, biodegradable, suitable for most FDM 3D printers, has better durability than plastic, and is more flexible, with each printing layer thinner, thus reducing the overall weight of the product.
The combination of 3D printing technology with various materials undoubtedly brings endless imagination to designers.
This is the creativity that materials and processes bring to products, and we can no longer explain whether it is the products that lead the development of material processes or whether material processes promote the birth of products. What can be confirmed is that processes, products, and materials complement each other and are indispensable.
Source: New Materials Online
Edited by: Misty Bear
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