Scientists have 3D printed a Christmas tree made of ice particles

Physicists from the Netherlands have created a three-dimensional Christmas tree made of ice particles using a modified 3D printer using the evaporative cooling effect. This was reported in the journal Popular Science.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam have demonstrated an unusual way of 3D printing by printing a miniature Christmas tree about eight cm high out of pure ice. Although the project looks like a festive experiment, scientists emphasize that there is a universal physical mechanism behind it with potentially widespread applications.

The technology is based on the effect of evaporative cooling, a process in which a liquid loses heat when a part of the molecules passes into a gaseous state. This principle is well known from everyday examples, such as sweat evaporation or steam rising from a hot drink, but it is also used in advanced scientific installations, including laser cooling of atoms.

During experiments in a vacuum chamber, scientists noticed that a thin stream of water begins to cool quickly and freeze with a sharp decrease in pressure. With a jet diameter of only about 16 micrometers, the high surface area relative to the volume allows efficient heat removal. As a result, the water loses tens of degrees of temperature in less than a second and freezes immediately after contact with the surface.

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Observing this process, the team came up with the idea to replace a standard 3D printer nozzle with a water jet and use the motion of the print head to form ice structures. Unlike existing ice printing methods, the new technology does not require refrigerated substrates, liquid nitrogen, or other expensive cryogenic systems.

After loading the digital model, the printer directs a stream of water in the same way as when working with polymer materials. The key point turned out to be the small time gap between the application of water and its complete freezing. For about half a second, the droplets combine into a continuous line held by surface tension forces, after which crystallization begins, covering the entire layer.

The ice tree created as part of the experiment was a demonstration of the principle, but the possible applications of the technology are much broader. Scientists suggest that ice structures can be used as temporary forms when creating polymer or resin products, and after the process is complete, simply melt the ice, obtaining clean cavities without waste.

In addition, the method may be useful in biomedicine, in particular in tissue engineering. The potential of the technology is also considered in the space context: the pressure on the surface of Mars is in the range suitable for the operation of such a vacuum printer. Theoretically, this opens up the possibility of 3D printing structures from local ice without delivering sophisticated equipment from the Ground.

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New Atlas magazine reported on December 2 that for the first time in Israel, a successful 3D-printed corneal transplant was performed from pre-cultured human cells. The operation allowed the patient, who was legally blind, to regain her eyesight.

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