The University of Maine's Center for Advanced Structures and Composites and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have launched a new collaborative study aimed at advancing the development of bio-based composite 3D printing technology. The teams of both parties will cooperate with the agricultural and forestry products industry to produce new bio-based materials for the development of a series of 3D printed products, including hull molds, bunkers, building components, composite tooling components and fan blades, and even large ships with demanding structural requirements Boat system.
The project is sponsored by the US Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office for $ 20 million and aims to strengthen the regional manufacturing industry by combining university-industrial clusters with the “Manufacturing Demonstration Facility” (MDF) established by the US Department of Energy within ORNL. MDF will use decades of experience to help regional industries more effectively transform additive manufacturing technology into the region's strengths in a short period of time.
ORNL is a global leader in advanced manufacturing. It is the largest science and energy laboratory in the U.S. Department of Energy. It is responsible for basic and applied research and provides transformative solutions for the energy and security fields. The University of Maine is a global leader in cellulose nanofiber (CNF) technology, including the development of nano / microfiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites through its Center for Advanced Structures and Composites.
The collaboration will provide students, faculty and related companies at the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center with access to ORNL's advanced manufacturing facilities and expertise. In turn, ORNL researchers will gain the facilities and expertise of the University of Maine in CNF and composite materials.
Both teams will conduct basic research in several key technology areas, including CNF production, drying, functionalization and their compounding with thermoplastic materials, multi-scale modeling and sustainable life cycle analysis. By compounding CNF with resin, a sturdy, hard, and recyclable bio-derived material system has been developed that can perform 3D printing at deposition rates of hundreds of pounds per hour and cellulose fiber content up to 50%, which is expected to open up new markets.