Nature inspires 3D-printed lightweight structures with exceptional stiffness

A team in the US has developed a new method to 3D print materials with independently tuneable macro-and microscale porosity using a ceramic foam ink.

The approach - from researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and MIT - could be used to fabricate lightweight structural materials, thermal insulation or tissue scaffolds.

They were said to be inspired by natural cellular structures such as those in grass, which allow it to support its own weight, resist strong wind loads, and recover after being compressed. The research is published in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences.

"By expanding the compositional space of printable materials, we can produce lightweight structures with exceptional stiffness," said Jennifer Lewis, Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at SEAS and senior author of the paper. Lewis is also a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss.