December 5, 2018
BY Erin Krueger
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced it is seeking new concepts in biobased materials for additive manufacturing as part of its Manufacturing Innovator Challenge, which is an effort to crowdsource solutions for next generation manufacturing to increase energy productivity and strengthen America’s industrial base.
Under the Biobased Additive Manufacturing challenge, the DOE is seeking ideas on how a biobased materials can be used as 3D printing materials. The DOE will award a prize of $3,200 to each of the top three applicants.
Information released by the agency explains that large-scale additive manufacturing allows for rapid prototyping of complex structures. According to the DOE, biobased printing materials are critical for making 3D printed structures renewable and potentially biodegradable. However, these materials are currently plagued with problems associated with material strength and printability. Under the BAM Prize, the DOE is looking to identify new materials that are made from at least 90 percent plant matter or algae and can meet or exceed the performance of current commercial 3D printing materials.
Those who want to enter the contest are directed to submit a four-page report outlining the description of the biobased material. The submission must include information on how to process the material, any previous 3D printing projects or tasks the materials has been used in, the biobased content of the material, the source of the biobased material, and expected applications for printed components. Submissions can also include information on projected material cost, potential supply chain and target applications.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Applications must be submitted by Jan. 10. Additional information is available on Freelancer.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced up to $23 million in funding to support research and development (R&D) of domestic chemicals and fuels from biomass and waste resources.
The U.S. DOE has announced its intent to issue funding to support high-impact research and development (R&D) projects in two priority areas: sustainable propane and renewable chemicals and algal system cultivation and preprocessing.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in August introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act, a bill that aims to create a tax credit to support the production of biobased chemicals.
The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium, a consortium of the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, has launched an effort that aims to gather community input on the development of new biomass processing facilities.
USDA on March 8 celebrated the second annual National Biobased Products Day, a celebration to raise public awareness of biobased products, their benefits and their contributions to the U.S. economy and rural communities.