News

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are increasingly being adopted as structural materials when building modern urban infrastructure. In a partnership with three Dutch companies, DSM, Royal HaskoningDHV and CEAD, the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has showcased the use of circular FRP composites in the world's first 3D-printed footbridge using recycled plastic material. FRP composites were…

Relativity Space has announced a strategic alliance with 6K, a developer of microwave plasma technology for powder production, to 3D print rocket components made from sustainable materials. The partnership will establish a closed loop supply chain through which scrap materials produced by Relativity will be transformed into premium AM powders by 6K and redeployed to Relativity…

Many of us have heard of using vegetable oil for alternative sources of energy like diesel gasoline, but you may be surprised to learn that it can play a role in 3D printing, too. Previous research has been performed in using vegetable oils with UV curing resins in SLA and DLP 3D printing; however, success has…

A faster, more efficient way of recycling plant-based “bioplastics” has been developed by a team of scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath. The team has shown how their chemical recycling method not only speeds up the process, it can also be converted into a new product — a biodegradable solvent — that can be…

Jackie Anderson offers a review regarding one of the most critical 3D printing topics today: materials. As innovation continues to grow, so do the options regarding software, hardware, and different types of plastics (along with many other alternatives today). In ‘Engineering Biodegradable PHA Blends,’ Anderson explores issues with plastic waste, and the need to use more…

The recent development of new polymerization methods that allow the economical production of poly lactic acid (PLA) with a higher molecular weight have effectively removed many of the limiting factors on its use, opening-up a greatly expanded application base for the plant-based bioplastic. This is happening just at a time when pressures on extended supply lines…

Although corals may look like plants, they are actually animal structures that host dense populations of algae on their surfaces. Corals provide a host for tiny photosynthetic algae. This intricate symbiotic relationship between coral and algae is responsible for maintaining the high diversity of coral reef ecosystems. Whilst coral reefs cover only one per cent of…

In nature, biological materials and organisms are part of a circular process of production and degradation. This process sustains the Earth and living things on it. Humans, however, have introduced new materials and products which do not fit into the circular economy, resulting in waste, which, as we all know, is detrimental to the health of…

Unlocking the value of a circular economy using 3D printing is leading innovation everywhere. Recovery initiatives to increase sustainability, like reusing plastic waste and turning it into 3D printing filament, are becoming more common. In tune with the need to care for Earth’s limited resources, Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), in partnership with global energy…

In Tokyo, a householder consults her 60-page "Garbage Separation and Disposal" system to check whether it's a recycle day for plastic bottles or for all other plastic packaging. In a coastal village in Kenya, an order has been received for 2,000 bricks made from waste plastic and earth. Read more