3D objects composed of 100% wood components were 3D printed using an extrusion-based technique. By predesigning the fiber layout in the printed wood we enable the control of shrinkage distortion beyond natural wood. Thus, resulting in objects that through time dry into programmed warped geometry. In nature, this deformation occurs when changes in moisture content cause unevenly volumetric change due to fiber orientation, in what is known as the wood warping phenomenon. Similar to nature, water evaporation causes volume decrease of the printed object, but in contrast, the printing pathway pattern and flow rate dictate the direction of the alignment and its intensity all of which can be predesigned and affect the resulting structure after drying. It was found that printing parameters such as flow rate and printing pathway, affect the micro and macro morphology of the fully dried objects, and therefore it is possible to design the printing of wet objects that will form different final 3D structures.

Wood warping by 3D printing

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.