Strongest biomaterial ever
The strongest biomaterial ever has been assembled recently by Swedish, American and German researchers; it consists of cellulose, properly speaking of carefully parallel oriented cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The material is stronger than steel, even stronger than spider silk, regarded as the strongest biomaterial until recently. Vanderwaals forces The team, headed by Nitesh Mittal, recently published
Simplifying hospital waste with biodegradable disposables
Dealing with hospital waste can be a logistical nightmare. But some believe that if medical centres switched to bio-based and biodegradable disposable products, they could simplify their waste management and see other benefits, such as a lower carbon footprint and a reduction in hospital acquired infections. The problem of hospital waste Hospitals generate huge amounts
Innovative materials: designers often better understand their value
Ahoy Rotterdam was the scene of the Material Xperience trade show. The show exhibited a large number of new and innovative materials. ‘Meet the future of materials’, was the slogan of the trade show, and bio-based, circular economy and sustainability were frequently discussed topics. Particularly for interested visitors not familiar with the latest material developments,
Much choice in biobased materials at Material Xperience
The 13th Material Xperience, ‘the world’s largest multisectoral materials exhibition’, will take place 13-15 March in Ahoy, Rotterdam. Tuned towards materials innovation, it will show materials in six categories: architecture, interior, fashion & workwear, product, mobility and graphic & packaging. In each category, there are many biobased materials. New biobased materials ‘Materials innovation is essential
Genetically engineered spider silk
Whereas the two companies discussed in this series so far use fermentation technology to imitate silk, the American company Kraig Biocraft Laboratories uses the old workhorse, the silkworm. They introduced spider genes into the silkworm in order to arrive at products much like spider silk, stronger than common silk. They claim their genetically engineered spider
Artificial spider silk, imitating ‘the toughest material on earth’
Spider silk combines properties that are very difficult to achieve for man-made materials. It is claimed to be 340 times stronger than steel; we are also told that a net woven from spider silk threads 1 cm thick would be able to stop a Boeing 747 in full flight. And yet, spider silk is just
Artificial silk: the next biotechnological frontier, about to be crossed
For a long time, silk has figured as a proverbial example of nature’s skills: strong and breathable, and soft to the skin as no man-made material could achieve. But we are about to cross this border: artificial silk has been synthesized, or at least materials very close to it; it may come to the market
Cellulose nanofibrils pave the way for biobased 3D printing
3D printing has the future. It will change the way in which we produce objects – maybe much less in factories and much more in shops around the corner. But so far, biobased materials have been difficult to 3D print. Most 3D printers use heat to melt the plastic or metal to be printed, and
