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Buildings made of pistachio shells

Researchers from Isfahan University of Technology, Iran, used pis-

tachio shells to produce a nanocomposite with high tensile strength

that could be used in the building industry. Iran is among the world’s

top pistachio producers, annually exporting thousands of tons to other

countries. Easy access to shells as agricultural waste is a given. The

structure of the shell and its components, specifically cellulose, make it

an appropriate choice for composites production.

It is also resistant to humidity, loss of color, and various types of

fungi and insects. Pistachio shell powder is used as filler in a heavy poly-

ethylene matrix. The plastic wood composite is environmentally

friendly, made from useless pieces of wood and recyclable plastic ma-

terials, and costs less to maintain than rough wood. Tensile strength in-

creases 27% when the amount of nanoclay increases from zero to three

weight sections, while it decreases 4% when the concentration reaches six weight sections.

www.iut.ac.ir/en.

Green cement for the future

A consortium led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lau-

sanne (EPFL), Switzerland, is developing a new blend of cement that prom-

ises to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete by up to 40%. Cement

production is responsible for almost 10% of human CO

2

emissions. Neverthe-

less, it is one of the most sustainable construction materials. With partners

from the Indian Institutes of Technology and universities in Cuba and Brazil,

this new blend substitutes up to half of the usual Portland cement used to

make concrete with highly abundant clay and limestone, promising to reduce

cement-related CO

2

.

As principle investigator Karen Scrivener explains, the strength of the

combination of calcined clay and ground limestone, which the researchers

call LC3 for Limestone Calcined clay Clinker Cement, lies in its chemistry.

When used together, the aluminates from the calcined clay interact with the

calcium carbonates from the limestone, leading to a less porous and stronger

cement paste. In the past, these materials have been used individually to re-

place a small fraction of the cement, but together, they can replace up to half without altering the performance

of the final product.

www.epfl.ch

.

Mixtapes make a comeback thanks to 3D printing

Back by popular demand, the MakerBot Mixtape is enjoying a resurgence—this 3D printed version of the

iconic DIY music mixtape is available in different color combinations and offers a retro way to listen to your

favorite music, but with a modern 3D printed twist. MakerBot, Brooklyn, N.Y., is known for its MakerBot

Replicator desktop 3D printers. Now the musical endeavor combines modern 3D printing technology with

the allure of something totally

retro—a mixtape. The MakerBot

Mixtape was one of the first

items the company recreated

through 3D printing and it is now

producing a variety of color com-

binations to appeal to music

lovers of all kinds, from rock and pop fans to those with a more classical leaning.

The redesigned MakerBot Mixtape is an all-new 3D printed cassette tape with an MP3

player embedded inside. With an improved user interface, the device offers drag and drop

files just like a USB drive. It has 4 GB of storage to hold favorite tunes and playlists and will

even store 3D printing STL files.

makerbot.com

.

ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES •

OCTOBER 2014

6

interest

of material

An EPFL-led consortium is developing a

new blend of cement that promises to

reduce the carbon footprint of concrete

by up to 40%. Financial backing came

from the Swiss Agency for Development

to scale up efforts. Courtesy of

Flickr/bnzai9.

The MakerBot Mixtape

is a retro way to listen

to your favorite music

with a modern 3D

printed twist. Courtesy

of Business Wire.

Researchers in Iran used pistachio shells to

produce a new type of nanocomposite with

high tensile strength.