Sustainable Additive Manufacturing via Protein Denaturation
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We report vat-based additive manufacturing (3D printing) that uses protein denaturation as the sole curing mechanism. The approach avoids the use of acrylates, which are often toxic and hazardous. Instead, additive manufacturing by protein denaturation uses a technique called Heating at a Patterned Photothermal Interface (HAPPI) additive manufacturing that enables control over the location of photothermal transduction. In this scenario, thermally mediated protein aggregation drives the conversion of aqueous resin into solid parts. In our investigations with proteins, we found that simple compositions involving 25 – 35 weight percent of protein in water were suitable resins. Mechanical analyses of printed parts revealed a Young’s modulus up to 0.2 GPa, which is in the range of low-density polyethylene, and an elongation at break up to 70%. In this way, we introduce a safe and sustainable approach to production of complex three-dimensional objects that maintain full biodegradability.