3D Printed Biopolymers

Dear Colleague,

In 3D printing (additive manufacturing), a part is produced by depositing the material layer by layer. The part is built from the bottom up, enabling the production of complex shapes and compositional changes throughout the part that are not possible to achieve using traditional subtractive techniques, leading to new designs and material properties. In addition, this group of techniques can be integrated into the digital production workflow, leading to the mass production of customized parts. Three-dimensional printing makes a reduction in labour, material waste, energy consumption and work tools possible, which can result in lower production costs.

Biopolymers are low-toxic/non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable and lightweight materials, which leads to a low environmental impact, making them a good choice for a wide range of applications (e.g., food packaging, biomedical, electronics). Biopolymers can be adapted according to the needs of the application (e.g., blends, changes in chemical composition, reinforcement with natural fibres)

It is expected that biopolymers produced via 3D printing techniques will lead to a significant reduction in the environmental footprint. To date, most of the research in this field has been carried out in the biomedical and food processing areas, but three-dimensionally printed biopolymers have the potential to be applied in other sectors (e.g., production support materials, tools, electronics). The present Special Issue aims to compile the most recent advances in biopolymers developed via 3D printing.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Biopolymer synthesis for 3D printing.
• Printability
• 3D printed biopolymers properties.
• 3D printed synthetic biopolymers.
• 3D printed natural biopolymers.
• 3D printed natural fiber biopolymer composites.

Dr. Celio G. Figueiredo-Pina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• biopolymer
• additive manufacturing
• 3D printing
• polymer printing
• implants
• biopolymer composite medical device
• bioengineering
• composites
• tissue regeneration implant
• drug-releasing implants
• artificial organs
• bioactivity
• scaffolds
• 3D printability Food application
• food package
• electronics
• tools
• polysaccharides
• proteins
• natural fibres
• inkjet printing
• extrusion-based printing
• stereolithography
• selective laser sintering
• binder jetting