Atmosware

Atmosware is an organic, carbon negative biomaterial that can be used as a material for 3D printing and as a replacement for clay in pottery.

With atmospheric CO2 rising each year, already surpassing levels that will cause catastrophic damage in years to come, the development of carbon negative technologies is imperative. Diatoms are a type of photosynthetic plankton that are surrounded by a cell wall of silica, allowing for the possibility to create carbon negative objects and processes.

A powder bed of diatomaceous earth was fired with a laser to bond the cells together. The strength of the test sample increased with increasing energy deposition. The success of this test opens the possibilities for organic 3D printed ceramics.

The labyrinth micro-structure of the ceramic gives it greater resistance to fracture propagation, stopping the crack from moving across the gap in the maze.

These pottery pieces were made using standard molding techniques, simply replacing clay for diatomaceous earth.

Diatoms could be easily grown and harvested locally in a bioreactor, using local sources of silica or ocean water. The diatoms absorb CO2 as they grow, creating a carbon negative, raw material process.