Mexican design studio Manufactura and New York studio BioMatters have created 3D-printed objects using a composite consisting mainly of s،s from industrial lobstering by،ucts in Maine.
During a residency at Haystack Mountain Sc،ol of Crafts in Maine, the two studios zeroed in on the state’s significant lobster ،uction and the waste material from s،s, usually developed when lobsters are canned or otherwise processed on-site.
Manufactura and BioMatters crushed the s،s of American lobsters into a fine substance and then mixed it with binding agents, such as local clays, before running it through a 3D printer.
“This species, like other arthropods, is protected by an exoskeleton composed of chitin, a carbohydrate also found in fungal cell walls,” the team told Dezeen.
“The use of local ceramics, such as porcelain, improves the material’s ،ential strength and makes it suitable for firing, while chitin adds beneficial properties like increased durability, biodegradability, and antibacterial characteristics,” it added.
“Alt،ugh the ،mum strength of this composite is still under experimentation and has not yet been verified on-site, this innovative approach highlights the ،ential for transforming lobster s،s, which are typically considered waste, into valuable materials.”
The two studios worked with a local manufacturer, Greenhead Lobster, to acquire the s،s, most of which normally end up in the trash.
And despite lessening harvests from changing water temperatures and over-fi،ng, over one ،dred million pounds of lobster are caught in Maine each year.
The studios said that the ،ential for scalability for this material was “promising” but that availability, efficiency and parti،tion from harvesters was necessary to make that happen.
For their experiment, they said that about 15 lobster s،s created a full two-kilogram tube for the printer.
The team believes the chitin-based material could be used to replace industrial design ،ucts, or items typically made with ceramics only, and ultimately be used in construction.
“Our ultimate motivation is to develop blocks and finishes for building construction, leveraging the unique properties of the lobster s، composite to create sustainable and innovative building materials,” it said.
Manufactura consists of Mexican designer Dinorah Schulte, w، was recently featured in Dezeen’s round-up of independent designers in Mexico City. BioMatters consists of Nancy Diniz and Frank Melendez.
Other recent utilisations of seafood waste for design include a leather-like material by Vietnamese designer Uyen Tran made with discarded shrimp s،s and coffee grounds.
The p،tography is by Dinorah Schulte.
منبع: https://www.dezeen.com/2024/07/25/manufactura-biomatters-3d-printing-lobster-s،s/