Plastic for 3D Printers May Become Eco-friendly
<p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="must">must</span>-<span word="have">have</span> <span word="gadget">gadget</span> - <span word="the">the</span> <span word="consumer">consumer</span>-<span word="grade">grade</span> 3-<span word="D">D</span> <span word="printer">printer</span> - <span word="works">works</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span>. <span word="Researchers">Researchers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Belgium">Belgium</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="environmentally">environmentally</span>-<span word="friendly">friendly</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span>, <span word="suitable">suitable</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="for">for</span> 3-<span word="D">D</span> <span word="printers">printers</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="medicinal">medicinal</span> <span word="use">use</span>.</p><p><span word="Since">Since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> 1980<span word="s">s</span>, 3-<span word="D">D</span> <span word="printers">printers</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="evolved">evolved</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="highly">highly</span> <span word="sophisticated">sophisticated</span> <span word="lab">lab</span> <span word="instruments">instruments</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="affordable">affordable</span> <span word="consumer">consumer</span> <span word="items">items</span>, <span word="enabling">enabling</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="create">create</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="complex">complex</span> <span word="designs">designs</span>.</p><p><span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="futurologists">futurologists</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="beginning">beginning</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="industrial">industrial</span> <span word="revolution">revolution</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="environmentalists">environmentalists</span> <span word="fear">fear</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> <span word="immortal">immortal</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="landfills">landfills</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="main">main</span> <span word="culprit">culprit</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="non">non</span>-<span word="biodegradable">biodegradable</span> <span word="petroleum">petroleum</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="environmentally">environmentally</span> <span word="friendly">friendly</span> <span word="alternatives">alternatives</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="polylactic">polylactic</span> <span word="acid">acid</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="PLA">PLA</span>, <span word="based">based</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="sugar">sugar</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="maize">maize</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sugarcane">sugarcane</span> -- <span word="but">but</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="expensive">expensive</span>.</p><p><span word="Michiel">Michiel</span> <span word="Dusselier">Dusselier</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="researcher">researcher</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Leuven">Leuven</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="manufacture">manufacture</span> <span word="PLA">PLA</span> <span word="faster">faster</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cheaper">cheaper</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="before">before</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Instead">Instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="two">two</span>-<span word="step">step</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="currently">currently</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="one">one</span>-<span word="step">step</span> <span word="process">process</span>. <span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="runs">runs</span> <span word="about">about</span> 100 <span word="degrees">degrees</span> <span word="centigrade">centigrade</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="temperature">temperature</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="productivities">productivities</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="product">product</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="volume">volume</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="reactor">reactor</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="product">product</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="cleaner">cleaner</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="products">products</span>,” <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Dusselier">Dusselier</span>.</p><p><span word="PLA">PLA</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="types">types</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="plastic">plastic</span> <span word="suitable">suitable</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="for">for</span> 3-<span word="D">D</span> <span word="printers">printers</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="biodegradable">biodegradable</span> <span word="medical">medical</span> <span word="items">items</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="suture">suture</span> <span word="threads">threads</span>.</p>
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