Cell3DP

3D-Printing (3DP) of cellulose powder

This project aims to 3D print cellulose. The printed parts consist only of cellulose powder mixed with cellulose ethers as binding agents. Similarly to binder jetting, successive layers of this mixture are spread out. Using an industrial inkjet print head from Fujifilm-Dimatix, isopropanol is selectively deposited on each of the powder layers. Isopropanol dissolve the binder and stick the cellulose particles together. The produced parts are fragile and require a post-treatment. A dedicated printer was devoloped and built for this project. Ongoing research is done on optimizing of the layer formation and drying to increase mechanical properties.

Contact, Partners & Publications

Contact@Empa
Thomas Geiger

 

Partner
College of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, iPrint (Mathieu Soutrenon, Gabriel Billato, Fritz Bircher)

 

Publication

  • Soutrenon M.; Billato G.; Bircher F.; Geiger T.; 3D Printing of Wood—Inkjet Printing of a Lignin based Ink on Cellulose, Printing for Fabrication 2018, 34th International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP), September 23-27, 2018, Dresden, Germany

  • Soutrenon M.; Castens Vitanov, K; Apebende, E., Geiger T.; Bircher, F.; 3D Printing of Ethylcellulose Implants by Solvent Jetting, Printing for Fabrication 2019, 35th International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies, NIP, September 29 - October 03,  San Francisco, USA

 

Status: completed

 

 

 

 

 

 

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