Squids Inspire Printable Thermoplastics

A team of engineers at Penn State, University Park, PA, is using squid to create an eco-friendly thermoplastic that can be used in 3D printing. Most plastics are made from fossil fuel sources or from synthetic oils. Thermoplastics can melt, be formed, and then solidify without degrading materials properties. The squid thermoplastic can be fabricated either as a thermoplastic, heated and extruded or molded, or be dissolved in a simple solvent and used in film casting. The researchers say that it can also be used in 3D printers to create complicated geometric structures.