3D Printing with Glass

Three-dimensional, or 3D, printing is the process of creating a physical object—or a copy of one—by layering a base material according to specified parameters to form a desired shape. 3D printing can be used to make clothing and footwear, works of art, robotic mechanical parts, weapons, aircraft and spacecraft components, medical prostheses and medicines, musical instruments, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, and even food.

If 3D printers once seemed unique and out of reach, now anyone can set one up at home and experiment. As mentioned, anything that can be used in the process can serve as a material for 3D printing, with different results in different fields. Until recently, however, 3D printing with glass remained undeveloped because of the material's complex structure and properties.

Now scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have developed a new 3D printing method that can use glass. The method was dubbed "liquid glass" because it consists of tiny glass nanoparticles suspended in a photopolymer binder. When exposed to light and heat, the mixture transforms and hardens into the shape specified in the settings, making 3D printing possible.



3D printers are used quite often in education, especially abroad. Many technical universities use these devices to make parts needed for coursework and projects, and the discovery of “liquid glass” could greatly expand these possibilities. Similar methods could also be very useful at universities in Ukraine.

As a supplement to this article, you can also watch how objects are printed on a home 3D printer.