Polylactic acid

A child’s heart valves can be damaged by rheumatic fever, which can then cause rheumatic heart disease and lead to even more serious health problems, such as stroke and heart…

Massachusetts-based Markforged (NYSE: MKFG), which went public via a SPAC deal last year, has added a new material to its portfolio with the launch of Precise PLA. This specialized version…

There are plenty of examples in which 3D printing has been used to develop drug delivery systems, but this research out of Hungary is tackling the issue from a new…

3D printing pens are often used when making fun and beautiful works of art, as well as for educational purposes, but they have also proved useful for medical applications as…

In this edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with stories from Aleph Farms and Orbex regarding their efforts to keep our planet healthy by, respectively, working towards net…

The largest manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic is finalizing its plant to open a new PLA manufacturing complex in Thailand. NatureWorks has received final authorization from its parent companies…

Biopolymer maker NatureWorks has announced plans to build the world’s first fully integrated polylactic acid resin plant in Thailand. The plant will produce lactic acid, lactide, and the company’s Ingeo…

Researchers from Romania have studied the mechanical properties of parts fabricated from polylactic acid, releasing the details of their recent study in ‘Mechanical Behavior of 3D Printed PLA Hollow Spherical…

Alaeddine Oussai, Zoltán Bártfai, László Kátai, and István Szalkai explore ways to improve recycling in 3D printing, releasing the details of their recent study in ‘Development of 3D Printing Raw…

Jackie Anderson offers a review regarding one of the most critical 3D printing topics today: materials. As innovation continues to grow, so do the options regarding software, hardware, and different…

In ‘Improving Mechanical Properties for Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing of Poly(Lactic Acid) by Annealing and blending with Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate),’ researchers from Ghent University in Belgium, and Sichuan University in China, explore new…

In the recently published ‘Infill pattern and density effects on the tensile properties of 3D printed PLA material,’ researchers from Indonesia delve further into the details of fabrication with polylactic…

All kinds of research has been conducted regarding the mechanical properties of 3D printing materials, such as how they are effected by things like infill density, build orientation, temperature, and…

In ‘Effect of Printing Temperature on Mechanical Properties of Copper Metal Polylactide Acid,’ authors Mohd Fara Zureel Ikhqwan bin Mohd Arpan and Lim Joon Hoong outline their findings regarding metal…

In this study, Russian researchers sought to optimize FFF 3D printing parameters further, improving on strength and optimization processes. Their findings were released in the recently published ‘Desktop Fabrication of…

Plastic is still one of the most popular, least expensive 3D printing materials, and polylactic acid, better known as PLA, is at the top of the bunch, due to its…

While 3D printing continues to grow in leaps and bounds, it still creates a lot of waste, due to removed support structures, disposable prototypes, failed prints, and multiple iterations. Luckily,…

Plastic is the least expensive, most used 3D printing material out there – as an example, right now on my desk, I have seven little animal figurines, and one tiny…

I was never very good at chemistry experiments in school, and now that I’ve just heard the word mechanochemistry for the first time, I’m starting to get nervous all over again,…

As the school year starts wrapping up, it’s time to talk a little more about the year’s hottest toy – or is it a stress reliever and a way to…

PLA, or polylactic acid, is by far the most popular material to use with your 3D printer. And while it is generally considered one of the easier materials to use, especially…