3D-Printing Wood with Wood-Ink

Jul-01-19 A new 3D-printing process that uses a wood-based ink could open the door to bespoke wood-based products that mimic the natural structure of wood.

The wood-based ink, created by a team from the University of Chalmers, is made up of a nanocellulose gel combined with hemicellulose, which helps to bind the tiny cellulose fibers in the gel and increase its strength. That gel was used in conjunction with a 3D-printer equipped with a digitized form of the genetic code of wood, which allowed the team to carefully control the arrangement of the nanofibers during printing to mimic the ‘ultrastructure’ of wood.

The team believes the new technology could be used to create sustainable and renewable alternatives to forest-based products, such as packaging, and could even have applications during space travel.

More Info about this Invention:

[CO.UK]
[CHALMERS.SE]

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