Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have developed an ink for printing bones. In addition to bones, it should also be possible to patch works of art and coral reefs.
The new ink contains a bacteria that produces calcium carbonate upon contact with a solution containing urea, EPFL said. Within about four days, each shape of the 3D printer mineralizes into a bone-like material. The end products no longer contain live bacteria because they are immersed in ethanol at the end of the mineralization process.
In addition to possible applications in medicine, the material is ideal for the restoration of works of art. So it can be injected directly into a vase or statue. In addition, the ink is a promising candidate for the construction of artificial corals that can be used to regenerate damaged marine reefs.
Producing bone-like materials in a lab or factory is extremely difficult, EPFL said in a statement. The ink for this must be fluid enough to squirt out of a 3D printing nozzle, but solidify after printing. Until now, researchers have tried to obtain such materials by adding small mineral particles to the ink. However, the resulting structures tended to shrink upon drying, leading to cracking.
Source: Krone
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