Every year, more than 45 million kg of lobsters are caught in Maine
The two innovators of 3D printing for building and design, the Mexicans of Manufactura and the New Yorkers of BioMatters have joined forces to transform a common waste, into a valid “ink” for highly durable and equally eco-sustainable three-dimensional printing. The key element is the lobster shells.
The power of lobster shells for 3D printing
It all started during a joint residence of the two teams at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. The profitable trade of the State of Maine in the breeding of lobsters also produces a considerable amount of waste due to the dumping of the shells of these crustaceans.
Manufactura and BioMatters have therefore thought of reusing this waste into something useful and new.
The process begins with thinning the shells of American lobster to obtain a delicate substance that, mixed with natural binding agents such as local clay, is perfect for use in 3D printing for building and design.
In fact, lobster shells contain chitin, a carbohydrate also found in mushrooms. When combined with local ceramics or clay, chitin improves the ductility and biodegradability of the material, adding antibacterial properties.
The obtained substance was then inserted into the 3D printing extruder creating objects of various sizes and shapes. Although the maximum strength of this product has not yet been fully tested, this approach offers an innovative solution. It allows both the recovery of an abundant waste, as well as the replacement of components for design or construction that usually require a large expenditure of energy and resources.
The Future of Building: 3D Printing
As with lobsters, 3D printing for building and design transforms waste into a resource. Moreover, using this technology allows for a significant reduce waste materials and waste by being calculated per millimetre by the software that manages the printing. Manufactura has already demonstrated the potential of 3D printing by recycling egg shells to create eco-friendly bricks. Similarly, BioMatters has managed to transform algae and mycelium into special 3D printed tiles with low environmental impact.