3D Printing News Briefs, August 17, 2024: 3D Printed Catalysts, Organs, Therapeutics, & More

In 3D Printing News Briefs, America Makes announced the winners of the PADAM project, New Zealand research partners are 3D printing rocket fuel catalysts, and researchers with UVA developed voxel building blocks for 3D bioprinted organs. Carbon and SprintRay partnered for a material validation, and Triastek is partnering with BioNTech to advanced 3D printed oral RNA therapeutics. UpNano and Glassomer co-developed a novel method for 3D printing macro-sized fused silica glass. Finally, a product designer turned FDM purge blocks into 3D printed truck cargo for a museum exhibit.

Winners of PADAM Project Announced by America Makes & NCDMM

America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have announced the winners of the Powder Alloy Development for Additive Manufacturing (PADAM) project, which is being funded for $6 million by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The project charges the award winners to set up data-driven methods for applying the best attributes of novel metal AM materials. For Topic 1, “High-Temperature Refractory Alloys,” Castheon will lead the “Maturing AM Technology for C-103 in Hypersonics and Space (MATCHAS)” project, with team members 3Degrees; Amaero; AP&C Advanced Powders & Coatings, Inc.; ATI Specialty Alloys and Components; Benchmark Space Systems; Blue Origin; Firefly Aerospace. FormAlloy; Lockheed Martin; NASA John H. Glenn Research Center; NSL Analytical; Rolls-Royce Corporation; and Spirit Aerosystems. For Topic 2, “High-Temperature Nickel-Based Superalloys,” Boeing will lead the “Accelerated Maturation of Advanced High-Performance Ni-Based Superalloy ATI-1700™ for Additively Manufactured Extreme Environment Components” project, with team members ATI Specialty Metals, Quintus Technologies, and RPM Innovations.

“We are embarking on an incredibly exciting era across the AM sector. Exploring the possibilities of AM material applications is a step in the right direction with considerable implications for the future of aerospace and defense. The Institute is incredibly fortunate to have the support of the Under Secretary of Defense and AFRL and the engagement of the brightest minds in the country who will be collaborating to revolutionize this technology,” said Brandon Ribic, Technology Director at America Makes.

Kiwi Researchers 3D Printing Greener Catalysts for Rocket Fuel

Platinum catalysts with ceramic gyroid and honeycomb structures, exhibiting the difference between traditional and novel 3D printed catalysts.

A simple catalytic reaction—turning hydrazine into hot expanding gasses—has long been used to move things in space. Unfortunately, hydrazine is very toxic and possibly a carcinogen, so high levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) are needed during refueling. Propellants with lower toxicity are needed, and one “green” alternative is concentrated hydrogen peroxide, or high-test peroxide (HTP). While it has a lower thrust output, the fuel has a higher density and is relatively benign, and more cost-effective in volume-constrained systems. There are potential applications in rocket-powered aircraft and satellites, but HTP thruster technology hasn’t changed much since the 1960s, so there are issues. A New Zealand research partnership between Dawn Aerospace, the University of Canterbury, and Callaghan Innovation is looking to innovate HTP thrusters, so they can serve as an alternative to dangerous hydrazine.

Additive manufacturing enables much more design freedom, so it’s possible to create catalyst structures that enhance mass transfer, while at the same time lowering the pressure drop; both are common issues with traditional manufacturing. The team focused on a class of structures called triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), and determined that the gyroid unit cell geometry would be ideal for HTP thrusters. They used digital light processing (DLP) technology to print novel catalyst supports out of ceramic, which has excellent thermal and chemical stability, and the catalyst active phase was platinum. To assess whether the 3D printed catalyst supports really offered better mass transport, higher thrust output, and lower pressure drop, the team installed them in a small test platform equivalent to a 10 N HTP thruster and measured their performance. They were ultimately successful, achieving thermal efficiencies of >90% with a lower pressure drop, and the 3D printed supports were fully intact once removed from the platform.

UVA Researchers Create Voxel Building Blocks for 3D Printed Organs

Reminiscent of a raspberry, this voxelated hollow sphere made of a single layer of droplets was generated using digital assembly of spherical particles, or DASP, a 3D bioprinting process developed in assistant professor of materials science and engineering Liheng Cai’s lab. (Soft Biomatter Lab, UVA Engineering). Credit: University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science/Liheng Cai

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science published a paper sharing the results of their unique bioprinting method: digital assembly of spherical particles, or DASP. It enables them to make biomaterials with controlled mechanical properties that match those of human tissues. DASP deposits water-based polymer hydrogels, engineered to mimic human tissue and containing actual human cells, in a water-based supporting matrix to build 3D structures that offer a good environment for cell growth—just like how voxels construct 3D objects. This process could be the template for the first building blocks for on-demand 3D printing of human-compatible organs. The team’s “double network” hydrogels are more biocompatible, less toxic, and mechanically strong, but very tunable to get the right tissue characteristics. They achieved this by designing a fast-moving, multichannel nozzle for on-demand mixing of the hydrogel components, and large droplets are immediately suspended in the matrix.

“Our new hydrogel particles represent the first functional voxel we have ever made. With precise control over mechanical properties, this voxel may serve as one of the basic building blocks for our future printing constructs,” said PhD student Jinchang Zhu, who worked with Liheng Cai, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering and chemical engineering, on this research.

“For example, with this level of control, we could print organoids, which are 3D cell-based models that function as human tissue, to study disease progression in the search for cures.”

Carbon & SprintRay Validate OnX Tough 2 Resin for M-Series 3D Printers

Carbon and SprintRay partnered to validate the use of SprintRay’s OnX Tough 2 dental resin with Carbon’s M-series 3D printers for making fixed hybrid dentures. Clinicians around the U.S. have already adopted OnX Tough 2, which is known for its excellent strength and aesthetic qualities, but this is the first time SprintRay has collaborated with another 3D printing company. This resin is FDA-cleared for 3D printing fixed hybrid dentures, and NanoFusion Technology supports particle distribution in the material for improved visual quality and durability. It’s also available in five different shades to meet patient needs, and the ability to print this resin on M-series printers will allow dental labs to expand their capabilities with enhanced service offerings.

“SprintRay’s collaboration with Carbon underscores our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that enhance the capabilities of dental labs,” said Amir Mansouri, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of SprintRay. “The validation of OnX Tough 2 on the Carbon platform marks a significant milestone in dental 3D printing, enabling labs to achieve exceptional durability and aesthetic quality in their restorations. This partnership not only expands our market reach but also reinforces our dedication to advancing dental care.”

Triastek & BioNTech Partner to Advance 3D Printed RNA Therapeutics

Global 3D printing pharmaceuticals leader Triastek, Inc. has entered into a research collaboration and platform technology license agreement with immunotherapy company BioNTech SE, which creates novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The two will develop 3D printed RNA therapeutics to address unmet needs for an oral formulation that’s easy to administer. Per the terms of the agreement, Triastek will get an upfront payment of $10 million, and be eligible to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments that could total over $1.2 billion, in addition to tiered royalties on possible future product sales. Triastek’s Melt Extrusion Deposition (MED) will be used to create oral tablet structures with unique geometries, including multi-layer and multi-compartment pill designs, in order to optimize delivery of novel RNA therapeutics across the gastrointestinal mucosa. This will reduce degradation in the gastrointestinal tract, and deliver therapeutics to the area where absorption will potentially be the greatest.

“We are immensely honored to announce our collaboration with BioNTech, a leader in revolutionizing patient care with transformative medicines. We believe this collaboration stands as a promising milestone in advancing oral RNA therapeutics using 3D printing technology and aims to set new benchmarks in the development of large molecule oral drugs,” said Dr. Senping Cheng, Founder, and CEO of Triastek. “We are committed to working diligently together to make breakthroughs in oral delivery of RNA therapeutics.”

Novel 3D Printing Process for Macro-sized Fused Silica Parts

Eiffel Tower, directly printed from UpQuartz, showcasing the obtainable complexity as well as remarkable size that can be achieved with UpQuartz. The tower is 10 mm high and has intricate features that reach into the tens of micrometers range. © UpNano

Austrian company UpNano and Glassomer, based in Germany, co-developed a novel 3D printing process for fused quartz objects, with high-resolution features, in the mm and cm range. It’s tough to manufacture complex, miniature 3D objects in glass, especially when it’s fused silica (SiO₂) glass, which has a very high melting point and is coveted for its biocompatibility, excellent heat resistance, and high chemical inertness. Existing methods can result in products with rough surfaces, but this process, modified for Glassomer’s two-photon polymerization (2PP) using UpNano’s high-resolution printing system, can 3D print macro-sized fused silica parts that are smooth and have features in the μm range. At the center of the process is UpQuartz, a new nanocomposite containing a specially designed polymer matrix that enables it to be printed with 2PP.

“It’s a three-step process. The first step is to design and print the desired structure using all the advantages 2PP 3D-printing offers. The second step is to remove organic binder material followed by a high temperature sintering process, the third step,” explained Markus Lunzer, team lead of Materials & Application at UpNano.

“This innovative production process we developed is ideally suited for larger 3D-printed glass parts that require high-resolution and high-precision, in the fields of engineering, and chemical, medical or research applications.”

FDM Purge Blocks Become Artistic Cargo for Multicolored Trucks

Image: Dan Perez, courtesy of Dov Ganchrow

Artist and product designer Dov Ganchrow, a professor at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, was commissioned by the Holon Design Museum to create a piece for its “Color” exhibit, which lasts through December 21, 2024. The result is the Purgey Trucks project, curated by Liora Rosin and Yuval Saar, in which Ganchrow explores the intersection of technology and color through FDM 3D printing. One well-known feature of FDM is the creation of purge blocks, or purge towers—as a printer switches colors, it cleans the extruder by depositing extra plastic filament from the first color next to the print in a cube. For the project, Ganchrow 3D printed multicolored trucks on a single-extruder Prusa FDM printer out of filaments composed of various color segments. But instead of throwing away the purge blocks, Ganchrow turned them into a significant element of the piece.

Ganchrow began by unraveling a virtual object to see the filament’s sequential color composition. Different colored segments were cut and merged together  through segment fusion to make physical filament, which was then used to print the trucks without supports, causing the creation of angled forms. The trucks were 3D printed standing on their heads, and once finished, the purge block was moved onto the bed of the truck as colorful cargo. One of the trucks in the art piece actually carries a spool of fused filament, rather than a purge block. This represents the stage of the truck before it’s printed next to the block, and showcases the 3D printing process and the materialization of the physical object in a humorous way.