Mexican design studio Manufactura and New York studio BioMatters have created 3D-printed objects using a composite consisting mainly of shells from industrial lobstering byproducts in Maine.
During a residency at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, the two studios zeroed in on the state's significant lobster production and the waste material from shells, usually developed when lobsters are canned or otherwise processed on-site.
Manufactura and BioMatters crushed the shells 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.
Manufactura and BioMatters have created a 3D-printing composite from discarded lobster shells
"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 potential strength and makes it suitable for firing, while chitin adds beneficial properties like increased durability, biodegradability, and antibacterial characteristics," it added.
"Although the maximum strength of this composite is still under experimentation and has not yet been verified on-site, this innovative approach highlights the potential for transforming lobster shells, which are typically considered waste, into valuable materials."
Lobster shells are cleaned and ground to make a powder
The two...