Manufacturing — Polymer discovery gives 3D-printed sand super strength

Polymer discovery gives 3D-printed sand super strength Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientist Tomonori Saito shows a 3D-printed sandcastle at the DOE Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. Previous Next   Newswise — Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a novel polymer to bind and strengthen silica sand for binder jet additive manufacturing, a 3D-printing method used by industries for prototyping and part production. The printable polymer enables sand structures with intricate geometries and exceptional strength – and is also water soluble. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates a 3D-printed sand...