In recent years, 3D printing has revolutionized the way materials are designed and made, paving the way for extraordinary innovations. One of the most promising trends is the use of biomimicry: the imitation of nature’s structures and strategies to develop advanced materials with unique properties. This has now been used to create an ultra-strong 3D printed material
The recent project comes from the University of Genoa and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and involves 3D printing being used to develop an ultra-strong material inspired by diatoms, marine microalgae so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. Despite their size, these have remarkable properties: they can store 20 to 50 percent of the Co2 produced on Earth. But that’s not all: their protective shell has unique mechanical properties: it is the natural material with the highest strength relative to weight, and the protective structure, called a frustule, has remarkable energy-absorbing properties.
The new material was used to 3D print a protective helmet with remarkable strength
Reproducing the Structural Properties of Diatoms With 3D Printing
The diatom frustule exhibits a multi-layered hierarchical architecture with an intricate arrangement of micro- and nanopores that optimize structural strength, fluid dynamics interacting with the living organism, and sunlight absorption. Their structural organization ensures a perfect balance between lightness, strength, buoyancy, nutrient acquisition, waste expulsion and energy conversion for the sustenance of the cell. As a result, they result in an extraordinary model of multifunctional resilient material.
The complex, multiscale architecture of diatom frustules has long intrigued scientists, engineers and even artists, but until now the design strategies behind their design had not been uniquely identified. The research team from the University of Genoa and MIT set to work, then, to demonstrate that drawing inspiration from these microscopic masterpieces can bring innovation to the design of multifunctional materials. Using Design for Additive Manufacturing, they were able to reproduce the complex internal structure of diatoms in a 3D printed material.
Using an integrated approach combining 3D printing, numerical simulations and computational fluid dynamics analysis, the team achieved remarkable results. “The results may provide new ideas for the development of new materials and smart systems capable of performing multiple functions and pave the way for new biotechnological approaches to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, to indicate the health status of water, to capture light efficiently, to develop new protective devices,” explained the researchers.
Applications for This Ultra-Strong, 3D Printed Material
The innovative 3D-printed, diatom-inspired material can offer significant benefits in numerous applications. These include in automobiles where they can improve airflows by reducing weight and increasing structural strength; microporous membranes for CO2 capture, combining high porosity and mechanical strength for more effective gas management; drug delivery systems, with controlled porosity providing precise release profiles and longer life; and soft robotics, exploiting combinations of light weight and flexibility to make advanced fluid dynamic actuators.
Specifically, the team demonstrated that the new material model has incredible performance in terms of energy absorption by making and testing a new protective helmet concept, called D-HAT. Tests have shown that the 3D printed, diatom-inspired material is capable of replacing current foams or honeycomb structures.
(a) The graph shows the relationship between elastic energy absorption and density for various materials. Biomimetic structures (highlighted in blue and yellow) outperform both honeycomb structures and foams. b) Development of the D-HAT, from user-based design, optimization of the hierarchical structure of the helmet shell, simulations for safety verification, and final 3D printing of the prototype. c) 3D printed D-HAT prototype.
This new breakthrough in the development of new materials through 3D printing demonstrates the key role of this technology toward new ways of thinking, designing and manufacturing. Nature, for its part, proves to be the master for creating efficient, resilient and sustainable systems, highlighting the potential of solutions found in nature for technological innovation. The results of the study can be found HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: Università di Genova