From the recycling of industrial waste, ETH researchers have obtained a fully recyclable mineral insulating foam suitable for D printing
Reducing the carbon footprint of the construction sector is a short-term global goal . Among the most successful solutions developed in recent years is D printing, an alternative construction method that reduces waste, problems and costs. And if the mixture used completely eliminates the use of cement, replacing it with an insulating foam of mineral origin, success is guaranteed. This is what a group of researchers from the ETH Zurich, led by Professor Patrick Bedarf, from Digital Building Technologies, has achieved with the Airlements project.
Light structures with load-bearing function
Through his research, Bedarf wants to demonstrate the multiple possibilities of D printing.
The prototype made by Airlements is a meter high structure made up of separate pieces, easily assembled together and without concrete.
D printing is done by extrusion , completely Phone Number List eliminating the need for molds or formwork.
All parts can be printed in less than hour, and then move on to the curing phase, which lasts about a week, in an environment with a temperature between and °C.
The gain achieved reduces costs, time and material waste by half , in addition to eliminating the old problem of energy consumption necessary for cement production. The four segments are printed by the robotic printer connected to a digital interface that allows even very complex shapes to be produced without the need for special labor.
Without automation, traditional material-saving construction methods are very slow and expensive. This new approach allows for rapid prototyping; Each component can be printed in a short time while maintaining the integrity and durability of the material.
Patrick Bedarf
The most interesting thing, however, is that the hollow structure of Airlements also lends itself to a transformation into a load-bearing element, simply by adding a higher density element. The basic mixture used is the same, what changes is the resistance.
Add insulation to the equation.
Thanks to the collaboration with ETH spin-off FenX, isolation was added to the equation. The insulating foam is highly sustainable and circular: it comes from the recovery of industrial waste, specifically fly ash produced as waste from blast furnaces. The mixture thus produced is transformed into the ink of the printer that will build the segments of the project. But sustainability is total, because at the end of their useful life, Airlements components can be % recycled, becoming again the insulating mineral foam that powers D printing.