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6609574 
Book/Book Chapter 
Fabrication of Cellulose Hydrogel Objects Through 3D Printed Sacrificial Molds 
Zadeh, HN; Huber, T; Dixon, F; Fee, C; Clucas, D 
2020 
Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 
Progress in Digital and Physical Manufacturing. Proceedings of ProDPM'19. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering 
265-270 
English 
INSPEC:19036641 
Effects of mold removal methods in fabrication of cellulose hydrogel objects were investigated in the present work. Cellulose was dissolved in 7 wt% NaOH/12 wt% urea aqueous solution and thermally gelled at 55 degC in three different mold materials, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) as a common 3D printing material, SolidscapeTM wax, specifically designed as a 3D printing cast material, and sacrificial casting wax (Lost Wax), commonly used for casting. After completion of the gelling process, the molds were removed from the cellulose gel by using a solvent for the ABS mold and melting the waxes in hot water. At the same time, the solvent was extracted from the gel and the cellulose hydrogel regenerated. The results show that mold materials and their associated removal methods have a significant effect on the mechanical properties and microstructure of cellulose hydrogel and cause shrinkage. Larger pore sizes decreased the compression strength and modulus of cellulose hydrogels samples. A balance between the porosity and density for a cellulose hydrogel part must be established for the specific applications. 
Casting; Cellulose; Hydrogel; Manufacturing; Mold 
Vasco, J. C.