Researchers from the联邦材料研究与测试研究所in Germany have developed a sustainable new 3D printing material out of termite and boring insect refuse.
喂食后，使用微小虫子留下的粉末状木颗粒和粪便，科学家能够炮制独特的圆形经济原料，可以在没有任何聚合物添加剂的情况下打印粘合射流3D。基于生物的材料产生的零件的强度较低，但准确性很高，这可能使其成为将来创建环保友好的纤毛结构的理想选择。
From faecal matter to feedstock
As the world continues to seek out sustainable manufacturing solutions, 3D printing is often touted within the industry as more eco-friendly than traditional production methods. Despite this, the widespread use of oil-based photopolymers remains a challenge to the technology’s green credentials, and necessitates the creation of a circular alternative.
Natural feedstocks aren’t just better for the planet, but they enable users to determine the life cycle of products early-on during production, and adjust their throughput accordingly. Such homebrewed materials can also be formulated by recycling refuse from the factory floor, lending them potential as both a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
鉴于粘合剂喷射能够处理几乎所有粉末状的原料，因此该技术经常被用作测试这种新型配方的一种手段。但是，将这些材料精炼成具有适当粒径的粉末仍然具有挑战性。为了解决这个问题，德国科学家已经确定了一个新近优化的颗粒，但最不可能的来源：白蚁。
The insect’s digestive system converts non-uniform woods into a compact cellulose-lignin mixture, that (as it turns out) is suitable for 3D printing without further processing. While prior timber-based feedstocks have required polymeric additives to be printed or the use of other binding phases, termite frass doesn’t, making it uniquely easy-to-process.
3D printing with termite frass
为了创建基于木材的原料，科学家们饲养了一个小的欧洲房屋仓（EHB）和白蚁农场，在收集粪便的同时喂了六个月。事实证明，所有白蚁的六面颗粒形粪便都被证明在大小上几乎相同，并且表现出极好的流动性，使其非常适合制造均匀的层。
一旦他们有足够的原材料,团队sed a commercial 3D printer’s thermal curing station to cross-link them with anExonebinder, yielding a set of cubic specimens. Interestingly, by changing the system’s binder saturation parameters, the researchers were able to identify the ratio for delivering structures with adjustable levels of porosity.
就层厚度而言，白蚁粪便可以实现的最佳可重复结果为800μm，而EHB在100μm时证明更准确。同样，该团队的骰子状结构的尺寸准确性约为200μm，但除了低填料密度外，它还遭受了过度饱和度。
结果，该部分表现出低的机械强度，尽管科学家认为浸润可以增强其坚固性，但他们承认其材料不适合印刷“现成的物体”。尽管如此，研究人员仍然认为EHB Frass将潜力作为创建花丝结构的原料，尽管需要通过后处理加强。
Additive innovations in sustainability
Over the last year, researchers have made considerable progress in investigating the eco-impact of 3D printing, and identifying new more circular materials.
A team based at theUniversity of Freiburg已经开发了一个基于木材的新颖3D打印材料of their own. By combining naturally-sourced lignin with cellulose balls, the scientists were able to create a unique bio-polymer that could prove useful within light construction applications.
Researchers from威奇托州， 这堪萨斯大学and堪萨斯州立大学have joined forces to develop a data algorithm for探索可持续材料的潜力。Using data analytics, computational approaches and diagnostic tools, the team aims to make eco-friendly feedstocks more accessible.
Elsewhere, scientists from theUniversidade NOVA de Lisboa(UNIDEMI) have highlighted the need for进一步研究3D打印的圆形。The team’s literature review revealed that polymeric factory refuse holds particular potential for reducing waste output, and could be used as a recycled material in future.
研究人员的发现在其论文中详细介绍了“搜索ing for biological feedstock material: 3D printing of wood particles from house borer and drywood termite frass。” The research was co-authored by Rudy Plarre, Andrea Zocca, Andrea Spitzer, Sigrid Benemann, Anna A. Gorbushina, Yuexuan Li, Anja Waske, Alexander Funk, Janka Wilbig and Jens Günster.
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Featured image shows three drywood termites. Photo via the Plos One journal.
