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.