Binder Jetting 3D Printing: A New Frontier for Mycelium Manufacturing
- jiaxin chen
- Sep 8
- 3 min read
The environmental crisis of plastic waste demands urgent solutions. By 2015, approximately 6300 million tonnes of plastic waste had been released into the environment, with 79% accumulated in landfills. If current trends persist, approximately 12,300 million tonnes of plastics will be accumulated in landfills by 2050.
Against this backdrop, biomass-fungi composite materials have emerged as a promising alternative. These materials, composed of agricultural residues bound together by fungal hyphae, offer biodegradability at the end of their lifecycle. Yet traditional manufacturing methods have been costly and geometrically limited. Now, groundbreaking research from Texas A&M University suggests that binder jetting—a 3D printing technology typically reserved for metals and ceramics—could revolutionise how we manufacture mycelium-based products.
Breaking Manufacturing Barriers
The conventional approach to producing mycelium composites relies on moulding or pressing techniques. Most previous studies used molding (or pressing)-based manufacturing methods, which are usually costly and have limitations on product geometry. In contrast, 3D printing can create products of complex shapes, require less setup time and energy, and reduce material waste.
Whilst extrusion-based 3D printing of mycelium materials has shown promise, it faces significant limitations. The major issues with extrusion-based 3D printing using biomass–fungi composite materials include low printing resolution and limited hyphal growth inside extruded filaments.
Binder jetting offers distinct advantages over extrusion methods. The advantages of binder jetting include better dimensional accuracy and resolution, and higher production rates. Unlike extrusion printing, which works with paste-like mixtures, binder jetting deposits liquid binder containing fungi onto selected areas of a powder bed.
Experimental Breakthrough
The Texas A&M research team, led by Dr. Zhijian Pei, developed a novel approach by creating a liquid binder containing fungi cells. Their experimental setup used a custom-built binder jetting system with a build platform volume of 75 × 75 × 30 mm³. The process required meticulous attention to contamination prevention, with the experiment performed inside a biological safety cabinet to prevent contamination of the printed samples.
The researchers tested two different particle sizes of biomass powder: 0.15mm and 2mm. The binder amounts varied accordingly, with 12.75 ± 4.35 mL for 0.15mm particles and 10.5 ± 1 mL for 2mm particles. This variation highlights the importance of matching binder quantity to particle size for optimal binding and fungal growth.
Following printing, samples underwent a carefully controlled processing sequence involving primary colonisation, secondary colonisation, and drying stages. The research team found that fungal growth was observed outside of all the samples, confirming the viability of the fungi throughout the process.
Microscopic Evidence of Success
Perhaps most significantly, scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of fungal networks within the printed structures. Qualitative analysis of the micrograph revealed that there were regions showing the presence of fungal hyphae. This microscopic evidence confirms that the fungi remain viable and capable of forming the binding networks essential for material integrity.
Process Efficiency Gains
The research team conducted a comparative analysis between extrusion-based and binder jetting approaches. The results reveal substantial process simplification. For extrusion-based 3D printing, three stages must be completed before 3D printing, including inoculation, primary colonisation with specific temperature and lighting requirements, and mixture preparation with additional materials.
In contrast, for binder jetting, only one stage needs to be completed before 3D printing: preparation of a liquid binder containing fungi cells. This streamlined approach could dramatically reduce preparation time and complexity for manufacturers considering mycelium-based production.
Manufacturing Revolution in Sight
The implications extend beyond academic interest. A comprehensive comparison reveals binder jetting's potential for industrial scaling. The technology offers faster processing, high achievable resolution, and the ability to print samples with complex geometry. Most importantly for commercial applications, it proves suitable for mass production rather than the single-piece focus of extrusion methods.
However, challenges remain. High machine cost and difficulty printing very large parts currently limit binder jetting's accessibility. Yet as the technology matures and costs decline, these barriers may diminish.
Looking Forward
This preliminary study opens new possibilities for sustainable manufacturing. The researchers emphasise that future work should investigate the effects of process parameters and particle size on printed samples in great detail. Additionally, different types of biomass and fungi will be investigated regarding their effects on the mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties of printed samples.
The convergence of binder jetting technology with mycelium materials represents more than incremental progress—it suggests a fundamental shift in how we might produce sustainable alternatives to plastic products. As plastic waste continues accumulating in landfills, innovations like this offer tangible pathways toward a more sustainable manufacturing future.
The research demonstrates that fungi, nature's master recyclers, can be harnessed through advanced manufacturing techniques to create materials that grow, bind, and ultimately biodegrade. In an era where environmental responsibility increasingly drives innovation, such developments provide hope that technology and nature can work together to address our planet's most pressing challenges.