Morphogenic Growth 3D Printing.

Inspired by nature's morphogenesis, a new 3D printing process -growth printing (GP)- takes advantage of a self-propagating curing front to produce 3D polymeric parts following a growth-like development plan. The propagation of the curing front is driven by the exothermic polymerization of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), which transforms the liquid resin into a stiff polymer as it propagates at 1 mm s. GP is triggered when a heated initiator contacts the uncured liquid resin in an open container.