Empa researchers develop cellulose-based 3D printing ink for implants & prostheses

Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed an environmentally friendly ink for 3D printing made up of cellulose nanocrystals. The material can be used to make biomedical devices with outstanding mechanical properties. Despite now being in the midst of an exciting biomedical research project, Empa researchers Gilberto Siqueira and Tanja Zimmerman have, for the last year or so, been focusing more on motors than medicine. The duo, whose work takes place at Empa’s Laboratory for Applied Wood Materials, have been using direct ink writing 3D printers to create automobile components and other heavy-duty parts with wood-derived printing materials.

from 3ders.org - http://www.3ders.org