Researchers have demonstrated the first chip-based 3D printer, a tiny device that emits reconfigurable beams of visible light into a well of resin that rapidly cures into a solid shape. The advance could enable a 3D printer small enough to fit in the palm of a person s hand.
The quest for sustainable alternatives to conventional materials has led to the exploration of waste by-products as potential resources. In a novel approach, researchers from the Institut Teknologi Bandung have developed a method to synthesize an organotin mercaptide-based thermal stabilizer from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of the palm oil refining industry. This development not only offers a solution to the disposal of PFAD but also presents a competitive alternative to existing PVC stabilizers.