Reclaimed Agricultural Waste for Top-down Nano Material Generation for Use in 3-Dimensional Biomaterial Production

Research in reclaimed materials has become a significant research area in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuel products and improve product recyclability. Recognizing that roughly 32.7% of all waste generated in Europe comes from the manufacturing industry it is essential to reduce waste and cost, while enhancing performance. Through the introduction of organic and synthetic nanomaterial’s, performance and energy costs and associated waste flows can be reduced. These materials have successfully been designed for use in electronics, biotechnology, and additive manufacturing, which seek to positively impact the environment. Pecan shell nano-crystals, cotton hulls and cotton cellulose have been identified and tested for use in 3-dimensional rapid prototyping material production.
These developments offer critical advantages for material design and fabrication by utilizing reclaimed waste, and without requiring the introduction of new chemical solutions to a material base. The 99% cellulose morphology of cotton, could allow for high-performance materials to be produced from the reclaimed cellulose. In addition to high percentages of cellulose, cotton offers advantages over synthetic materials for biocompatibility, biodegradability, and environmental generation impact. A top-down study has been developed to design and demonstrate the functionality of reclaimed cotton for additive manufacturing processes. Results show that additive manufacturing processes reduce total waste while introducing an environmentally sustainable secondary revenue source for domestic agriculture.