<p>The question is vague and likely highly speculative, but I would say that an biological material (coming from living organisms, not from a chemical plant) won't tolerate high temperatures without severe damage, and also will probably have an internal structure which won't work properly with the FDM (pushing molten material) concept.</p>
<p>Maybe you could print via resin printing a matrix structure (FDM is not optimal for that) and then have biological material grow on it. This could work.</p>
<p>See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_bioprinting" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>3D bioprinting for fabricating biological constructs typically
involves dispensing cells onto a <strong>biocompatible scaffold</strong> using a
successive layer-by-layer approach to generate tissue-like
three-dimensional structures</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-25T08:27:37.783Z
2021-06-25T08:27:37.783Z
FarO
<p>If it cannot be directly injected in a molten form, is there any way on how to do this?
When I was exploring about this, I mostly found thermoplastics.
Please note that I am not trying to contrast &quot;sustainable&quot; with FDM materials.</p>
<p>When I saw this video, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cApVVuuqLFY" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Is Mycelium Fungus the Plastic of the Future?</a>, I was curious to know if mycelium can be a good material candidate for 3D printing.</p>
<p>Fellows here suggest that there are available options such as Polylactide/Polylactic Acid/PLA which is derived from corn starch.</p>
<p>Still it is better to have as many options for materials to be used as feed in 3d printing, as it is one of the most disruptive tech of this decade, thus if we don't repeat past mistakes, we can reap as much benefit from this without causing enormous ecological damage.</p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cApVVuuqLFY?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-24T15:23:35.937Z
Are you trying to contrast "sustainable" with FDM materials? I'm not sure there's a good reason to believe it would be more sustainable than PLA (a corn product).
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-24T15:34:28.997Z
No, I'm not. And Thank You for PLA, it is promising but I was not aware about it and don't know if it is actively used in 3D printing.
lousycoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-24T16:09:24.380Z
PLA is the most common material used in 3D printing.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-24T16:46:12.057Z
[Polylactic acid, or polylactide (PLA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid) is a thermoplastic polyester...
Davo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T12:49:26.670Z
If it can be emulsified, it can be selectively deposited; however, what will cause it to bind and harden? Would you add a photoinitiator, or a thermoset, or some other agent?
Davo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T13:10:19.097Z
@Davo regarding PLA, I read on this website that it is brittle and has sharp edges when it breaks according to this website: https://www.think3d.in/buy-3d-filaments-in-india/, what would you like to say?
lousycoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-29T13:17:21.947Z
From personal experience, PLA is less brittle than ABS or PETG. I don't know what bearing that has on printability, though. I've printed with porcelain, which is quite brittle after it is fired.
Davo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-30T02:28:50.507Z
I think the word "brittle" isn't being used in any precise sense. PLA has high tensile strength and doesn't break easily, but breaks suddenly and destructively when it does. Other materials tend to stretch/tear first.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-30T04:08:17.860Z
no, it's mostly water, shrinks when it dries, rots easily, and is not structurally strong.
dandavis
<fdm>
Can a sustainable material like mycelium be used in place of thermoplastics for fused deposition modeling?
lousycoder
# Can a sustainable material like mycelium be used in place of thermoplastics for fused deposition modeling?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-06-24)

If it cannot be directly injected in a molten form, is there any way on how to do this?
When I was exploring about this, I mostly found thermoplastics.
Please note that I am not trying to contrast "sustainable" with FDM materials.

When I saw this video, [Is Mycelium Fungus the Plastic of the Future?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cApVVuuqLFY), I was curious to know if mycelium can be a good material candidate for 3D printing.

Fellows here suggest that there are available options such as Polylactide/Polylactic Acid/PLA which is derived from corn starch.

Still it is better to have as many options for materials to be used as feed in 3d printing, as it is one of the most disruptive tech of this decade, thus if we don't repeat past mistakes, we can reap as much benefit from this without causing enormous ecological damage.

**Tags:** fdm

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you trying to contrast "sustainable" with FDM materials? I'm not sure there's a good reason to believe it would be more sustainable than PLA (a corn product).  
> **username_0**: No, I'm not. And Thank You for PLA, it is promising but I was not aware about it and don't know if it is actively used in 3D printing.  
> **username_1**: PLA is the most common material used in 3D printing.  
> **username_2**: [Polylactic acid, or polylactide (PLA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polylactic_acid) is a thermoplastic polyester...  
> **username_2**: If it can be emulsified, it can be selectively deposited; however, what will cause it to bind and harden? Would you add a photoinitiator, or a thermoset, or some other agent?  
> **username_0**: @username_2 regarding PLA, I read on this website that it is brittle and has sharp edges when it breaks according to this website: https://www.think3d.in/buy-3d-filaments-in-india/, what would you like to say?  
> **username_2**: From personal experience, PLA is less brittle than ABS or PETG. I don't know what bearing that has on printability, though. I've printed with porcelain, which is quite brittle after it is fired.  
> **username_1**: I think the word "brittle" isn't being used in any precise sense. PLA has high tensile strength and doesn't break easily, but breaks suddenly and destructively when it does. Other materials tend to stretch/tear first.  
> **username_3**: no, it's mostly water, shrinks when it dries, rots easily, and is not structurally strong.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-06-25. Score: 0

The question is vague and likely highly speculative, but I would say that an biological material (coming from living organisms, not from a chemical plant) won't tolerate high temperatures without severe damage, and also will probably have an internal structure which won't work properly with the FDM (pushing molten material) concept.

Maybe you could print via resin printing a matrix structure (FDM is not optimal for that) and then have biological material grow on it. This could work.

See [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_bioprinting):

> 3D bioprinting for fabricating biological constructs typically
> involves dispensing cells onto a **biocompatible scaffold** using a
> successive layer-by-layer approach to generate tissue-like
> three-dimensional structures


---

