The tiny chair made of cellulose is a
demonstrational object printed using the 3-D bioprinter at Chalmers
University of Technology.
Credit: Peter Widing
A group of researchers at Chalmers University
of Technology have managed to print and dry three-dimensional objects
made entirely by cellulose for the first time with the help of a
3D-bioprinter. They also added carbon nanotubes to create electrically
conductive material. The effect is that cellulose and other raw material
based on wood will be able to compete with fossil-based plastics and
metals in the on-going additive manufacturing revolution, which started
with the introduction of the 3D-printer.
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing that is predicted to
revolutionise the manufacturing industry. The precision of the
technology makes it possible to manufacture a whole new range of objects
and it presents several advantages compared to older production
techniques. The freedom of design is great, the lead time is short, and
no material goes to waste.
Plastics and metals dominate additive manufacturing. However, a
research group at Chalmers University of Technology have now managed to
use cellulose from wood in a 3D printer.
“Combing the use of cellulose to the fast technological development
of 3D printing offers great environmental advantages,” says Paul
Gatenholm, professor of Biopolymer Technology at Chalmers and the leader
of the research group. “Cellulose is an unlimited renewable commodity
that is completely biodegradable, and manufacture using raw material
from wood, in essence, means to bind carbon dioxide that would otherwise
end up in the atmosphere.
The breakthrough was accomplished at Wallenberg Wood Science Center, a
research center aimed at developing new materials from wood, at
Chalmers University of Technology.
The difficulty using cellulose in additive manufacturing is that
cellulose does not melt when heated. Therefore, the 3D printers and
processes designed for printing plastics and metals cannot be used for
materials like cellulose. The Chalmers researchers solved this problem
by mixing cellulose nanofibrils in a hydrogel consisting of 95-99
percent water. The gel could then in turn be dispensed with high
fidelity into the researchers’ 3D bioprinter, which was earlier used to
produce scaffolds for growing cells, where the end application is
patient-specific implants.
The next challenge was to dry the printed gel-like objects without them losing their three-dimensional shape.
“The drying process is critical,” Paul Gatenholm explains. “We have
developed a process in which we freeze the objects and remove the water
by different means as to control the shape of the dry objects. It is
also possible to let the structure collapse in one direction, creating
thin films.
Furthermore, the cellulose gel was mixed with carbon nanotubes to
create electrically conductive ink after drying. Carbon nanotubes
conduct electricity, and another project at Wallenberg Wood Science
Center aims at developing carbon nanotubes using wood.
Using the two gels together, one conductive and one non-conductive,
and controlling the drying process, the researchers produced
three-dimensional circuits, where the resolution increased significantly
upon drying.
The two gels together provide a basis for the possible development of
a wide range of products made by cellulose with in-built electric
currents.
“Potential applications range from sensors integrated with packaging,
to textiles that convert body heat to electricity, and wound dressings
that can communicate with healthcare workers,” says Paul Gatenholm. “Our
research group now moves on with the next challenge, to use all wood
biopolymers, besides cellulose.
The research findings are presented this week at the conference New Materials From Trees that takes place in Stockholm, Sweden, June 15-17.
The research team members are Ida Henriksson, Cristina de la Pena,
Karl Håkansson, Volodymyr Kuzmenko and Paul Gatenholm at Chalmers
University of Technology.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from
materials provided by
Chalmers University of Technology.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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