The production of resin in the filament sector in the 3D Printing Industry hasn’t been slightly tight recently, probably due to high cost of the raw materials. For this purpose, Atlanta based American Process Inc. collaborates with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) so that the two parties can jointly focus on improving the 3D printing plastic resins. This project will lead to development of resin plastic materials that are strong enough for load-bearing applications for all industries.
Even though strong materials like carbon fibers are available in the market but they are costly and dependent on petroleum as well. These factors led the researcher ORNL to go for nanocellulose materials, because other than being a strong reinforcing agents like that of carbon fibers, nanocellulose are far more affordable.
Theodora Retsina, CEO at American Process Inc. told, “Nanocellulose can enhance the performance of plastics in an environmentally friendly and market competitive way. Carbon fibers are extremely strong and lightweight but expensive to produce and used only in the highest end applications such as aerospace and luxury vehicles. Nanocellulose is as strong as carbon fiber and are lower weight. With our manufacturing breakthrough, nanocellulose is significantly more cost competitive than carbon fibers. We didn’t invent nanocellulose; we made it less expensive, thermally stable at high temperatures, and gave it functionality to blend with hydrophobic polymers – thereby enabling market applications and opening the road to commercial production.”