alternative to current 3D printing polymers tagged posts

This image from a scanning electron microscope shows a cross section of an object printed using cellulose. The inset shows the surface of the object. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers

Thanks to new research at MIT, cellulose may become an abundant material to print with – potentially providing a renewable, biodegradable alternative to the polymers currently used in 3D printing materials. “Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer in the world,” says MIT postdoc Sebastian Pattinson. “Cellulose and its derivatives are used in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, as food additives, building materials, clothing – all sorts of different areas. And a lot of these kinds of products would benefit from the kind of customization that additive manufacturing [3-D printing] enables.”

Meanwhile, 3D ...