BioMatters, Manufactura create 3D printed material from Maine lobstah shells

In Mexico, design studio Manufactura has partnered with New York’s BioMatters to convert waste lobster shells from Maine into a material suitable for 3D printing using.

The process involves crushing the shells and mixing that powder with binding agents. The two studios co-developed the idea while visiting Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, where they learned of the limited options for reusing the shells after lobsters are processed.

“This species, like other arthropods, is protected by an exoskeleton composed of chitin, a carbohydrate also found in fungal cell walls,” the team told design publication Dezeen. “The use of local ceramics, such as porcelain, improves the material’s potential strength and makes it suitable for firing, while chitin adds beneficial properties like increased durability, biodegradability, and antibacterial characteristics.”

It took about 15 lobster shells to create 2 kg of material for the printer, they add. “Our ultimate motivation is to develop blocks and finishes for building construction, leveraging the unique properties of the lobster shell composite to create sustainable and innovative building materials,” they said.