It’s just like printing your own… rockets?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Rocket building materials usually cost a fortune. But what if we could 3-D print them?
Enter Edwin Romero and team at Purdue University. They’ve developed a new way to make carbon-carbon composites using a standard 3D printer and different firing techniques.
And? These printed parts are ten percent less durable than traditional ones, but they’re way cheaper and faster to make!
Though they’re more brittle, they don’t necessarily lead to major flaws. Why? With improved fiber alignment and smarter processing, strength can skyrocket without compromising other material properties.
3D‑printed carbon-carbon parts may not match luxury carbon yet.
But…the runway’s clear for next‑level lift‑off!
Reference: Romero, E. S., Burton, B., Hilmas, A., Barocio, E., & Trice, R. W. (2025). Orthotropic elastic constants and tensile strength of extrusion-based additively manufactured carbon/carbon composites after polymer infiltration and pyrolysis. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 194, 108884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2025.108884