Additive Manufacturing of Carbides Using Renewable Resources

Here we report initial results towards additive manufacturing of carbides. We shaped and heat treated biopolymers-metal oxide gel composites in order to obtain 3-D carbide structures. Renewable biopolymers such as iota-carrageenan, chitin and cellulose were used to form the gels. Heat treatment of the gel composites resulted in amorphous porous carbonaceous material with high surface area. The carbonaceous materials preserved the original 3D shape. The ongoing work is on optimization of the conditions for carbide synthesis. We are also studying the rheology of the gel composites to aid to the additive manufacturing.