Milk instead of plastic. This invention could change the future

3D printing has been struggling with a serious problem regarding filaments for years. The vast majority of them are still made from petroleum, are non-biodegradable and stay with us for decades. That is why there was so much interest in the information about the solution developed at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the USA, where scientists managed to turn spoiled milk into a full-fledged material for 3D printing.

Milk contains proteins such as casein and whey, which can be combined with existing polymers after appropriate processing. The research team has developed a method of obtaining these proteins from expired dairy products and using them as a component of a biocomposite intended for 3D printing. The result is not “printed cheese”, but a material with properties similar to classic plastics, compatible with popular 3D printers and based on food waste.

The new technology is part of a broader trend that has been developing in the world of additive printing for several years. There is more and more talk about recycling failed prints, home extruders for re-producing filament, or using PET waste, used packaging and disposable cutlery as a printing raw material. While none of these solutions are perfect, they all point in one direction – reducing the environmental footprint of 3D technology.

The impetus to start the project was the crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, when farms in the US had to pour out millions of liters of milk due to a sharp drop in demand. Instead of treating surpluses as a problem, scientists proposed that they become a resource for industry.

The project was led by Dr. John Obielodan from the department of mechanical and industrial engineering and Dr. Joseph Wu from the department of chemistry. For several years, the team has been refining the types of proteins, their purity and proportions in the mixtures to obtain the appropriate strength and elasticity of the material. It is at this stage that many bioplastics projects end in failure, but here we managed to create a filament that can actually be printed without problems with nozzle clogging or print quality.