University of Colorado Boulder researchers found that a seaweed-based ingredient used in foods like ice cream could make natural earthen materials such as clay and sand easier to 3D-print into durable structures. The discovery could help turn construction waste into lower-impact building materials.
The research was led by scientists at CU Boulder, with researchers from Columbia University also contributing.
The team studied biopolymers, which are large biological molecules that can act like glue. In nature, termites, wasps, and honeycomb worms use biopolymers to bind materials such as soil and clay into strong structures without relying on cement…