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TU Wien & Cubicure Develop Ivory Substitute for 3D Printing Restoration Pieces https://ift.tt/3xDdzdB Ivory, a hard, white material consisting mainly of dentine, makes up the tusks of several large animals, such as walruses, narwhals, and elephants. For a long time, the material was highly sought after for use in making artwork, but thankfully the ivory trade was banned internationally in 1989 to protect decreasing elephant populations. However, a lot of this intricate artwork, as well as ivory artifacts, is obviously still out there, and alternate materials, such as bones, plastic, and shells, are used to restore them, with middling results. But a partnership between the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) and Cubicure GmbH, the university’s spinoff company, has resulted in a 3D printable, elephant-friendly substitute for ivory that can be used to restore these pieces with high precision. Through a cooperation with the Archdiocese of Vienna‘s Department for the Care of Art and Monuments and Vienna-based Addison Restoration KG, Cubicure and TU Wien have created Digory, a novel material made of calcium phosphate particles, silicon oxide powder, and synthetic resin. First processed in a hot, liquid state, Digory is hardened into the desired shape using UV rays, and once it’s off the printer, it can be polished and color-matched to a specific artifact or piece of art.
The research team published a paper on their work using stereolithography-based 3D printing to create the ivory-like material.
The team has previously worked with ceramics for dental technology, so they had some experience with similar materials, but an ivory substitute was a tall order.
The team spent lots of time experimenting before finally coming up with the right mixture to create the Digory material. They embedded tiny calcium phosphate particles, with an average 7 µm diameter, and very fine silicone oxide powder in a special resin, which is then processed at high temperatures in Cubicure’s hot lithography 3D printers.
Once the item has been printed, it’s then polished and dyed to match the color of the artifact that is being restored, such as the ivory ornamentation on that 17th-century casket. The researchers reported good results using black tea for the touch-up work, and noted that you can also add the dark lines often seen running through ivory to the piece afterwards. This is big news for the restoration field, as the team says that Digory is easier to work with than other substitutes, and replicates the stiffness, strength, and translucence of real ivory. Additionally, no elephants had to lose their tusks to restore an artifact, and 3D printing makes it possible to automatically, and quickly, reproduce the fine details of these pieces.
The researchers hope once the novel Digory material is further developed, it will become more accepted as “an aesthetically and mechanically high-quality” substitute for ivory, and can be used as a restoration material, as well as putting illegal poachers out of business. (Source: New Atlas / Images: TU Wien) Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com April 30, 2021 at 09:06AM
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