3D printing - Materials

A world-first study has demonstrated how cutting-edge 3D-printing techniques can be used to produce an ultra strong commercial titanium alloy - a significant leap forward for the aerospace, space, defence, energy and biomedical industries.

Stratasys has announced that Evonik is its third and newest material partner for the P3 technology-based Origin One 3D printer. Evonik is contributing its expertise in the development and manufacturing of ready-to-use photopolymer materials to enhance the P3 platform, which achieves injection molding part quality and surface finish with incredible accuracy, in a diverse and continuously growing range of high-performance materials.

3D Systems announced two new production-grade materials designed to address a breadth of industrial applications. Both materials have been engineered for long-lasting mechanical performance and stability in any environment making them ideal for a host of end-use applications in industries such as consumer goods, transportation & motorsports, aerospace & defense, and service bureaus.

As of mid-2022, the global graphene and graphene oxide installed capacity easily exceeds 12,000 tonnes per year, but utilization is low as the orders lag significantly behind. Is this a natural part of the commercial journey, or has hype overcome reality? Is this a case of "build it, they will come", or are there real market needs? What does the future hold for these graphene manufacturers? IDTechEx provides an independent perspective on these questions and more.

Traditional methods produce medicines with specific parameters, but in many cases without meeting the individual needs of patients. In fact, conventional medicines tend to be based on adult doses, so paediatric and elderly patients require doses tailored to their age. What is more, certain groups of patients also need specific dosage form alternatives to facilitate the oral administration of drugs. In this respect, rapidly disintegrating tablets are emerging as a good option as they dissolve the moment they are placed on the tongue. Another challenge pharmaceutical companies need to address is the controlled release of the drug over time, especially when the drug is of a hydrophobic type, i.e. when dissolving it in water poses problems.

As the global population continues to age and grow, the demand for protein-rich food is also expected to increase concurrently. This has also caused concerns on increasing greenhouse gases, land and water consumption associated with the conventional rearing of animals for food. In some parts of Africa, Asia and South America, people have already been turning to alternative sources of proteins from insects, plants and algae for sustainable, nutrient-rich food. However, the idea of consuming insects might be an uncomfortable concept to digest for the rest of the world.

A team of researchers has 3D printed a dual-phase, nanostructured high-entropy alloy that exceeds the strength and ductility of other state-of-the-art additively manufactured materials, which could lead to higher-performance components for applications in aerospace, medicine, energy and transportation.

Infinite Materials Solutions LLC has recently launched AquaSys General Purpose, a water-soluble support material compatible with most polyesters. It is a direct replacement for polyvinyl alcohol and showcases outstanding performance and print fidelity with standard polylactic acid-type build materials. Its creators hope the reliable high-performance material marks a shift in the industry, as it saves time and money and is accessible to a wide range of users.

Researchers have succeeded in fabricating a nickel single crystal with only a very few crystalline defects by irradiating nickel powder with a large-radius, flat-top laser beam (i.e., a laser beam whose intensity is uniform across a cross-section of the beam). This technique may be used to fabricate a wide variety of single-crystalline materials, including heat-resistant materials for jet engines and gas turbines.