EnvisionTEC 3D-Bioplotter Used at Northwestern to 3D Print with Lunar and Martian Soil
3D Printing Business Directory | March 20, 2017 ~ A team at Northwestern University developed a comprehensive approach for creating robust, elastic, designer Lunar and Martian regolith simulant (LRS and MRS, respectively) architectures using ambient condition, extrusion-based 3D printing of regolith simulant inks.
Northwestern University is also known for Dr Shah’s TEAM lab work on materials and biomaterials using EnvisionTEC’s pneumatic extrusion based 3D Bioplotter to 3D print with metals and alloys as well as regenerative ceramic and graphene biomaterials (from relatively, compositionally and morphologically pristine powders).
In this new work, which also sees Dr. Shah among the authors, the researchers extended the 3D printable particle based liquid ink platform to Lunar and Martian regolith simulants (LRS and MRS; JSC-1A and JSC MARS-1A, respectively); which are unrefined, highly compositionally and morphologically inhomogeneous natural, volcanic materials that emulate the surface environments of specific regions on the Moon and Mars, respectively.
