banana + PLA = WIN

hey this was a cool find today on the webs http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/03/bananas-could-make-cars-leaner-greener/ but this is interesting idea that you could use stuff from fruit to make very strong plastics, so maybe this could be mixed with PLA for some sinteresting results, if not a spool are feed stock that would be a pain in the ass to cut a piece off.

"A group of scientists from Sao Paulo State University developed a way to use the nanocellulose fibers from bananas, pineapples, and other fruits to create incredibly strong, lightweight plastics. The plastic is up to four times stronger and 30 percent lighter than petroleum-based plastics, and it rivals Kevlar — the material used in bullet proof vests — in strength."

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[mike-mack.blogspot.com]

.... interesting, especially when i remember, that a german scientist found a way to generate oil and related stuff by cooking plants in a pressure cooker with water and citric acid as catalysator ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

this is awesome! too bad that it is available only in fine powder

Very interesting idea.

If it's resistant to heat, then we won't be able to extrude it in our repraps. Also, it sounds like what they made are the fibers that are added to plastic to make them stronger. I don't think this process works for FDM. What we need is a plastic that can be extruded by heating and then made stronger by another method like exposing to light, radiation, chemical etc.