This technology is a biopolymer system combining xanthan gum and locust bean gum to enhance the rheology, buildability, and mechanical strength of earthen materials for 3D-printed construction applications.
The construction industry contributes heavily to global carbon emissions and energy use, with cement as a major contributor, driving interest in lower-impact alternatives. Earthen materials have emerged as a promising option due to their low carbon footprint, local availability, and minimal waste, but their adoption is limited by poor mechanical strength, slow processing, and inadequate printability. Current approaches to improve these materials rely on single biopolymer additives, which fail to simultaneously provide sufficient cohesion, strength, and structural stability for 3D printing. Addressing these limitations is critical to enabling scalable, low-carbon, and structurally reliable construction solutions.
The technology combines two biopolymers, xanthan gum (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG), to form a stable, reversible gel network that coats clay particles in the earthen mixture. This synergistic combination substantially increases yield stress and storage modulus, enhancing the material’s buildability while maintaining smooth extrusion. Compared to single-polymer systems, the XG-LBG mixture provides improved thixotropic behavior, mechanical strength, and shape retention, making it well-suited for extrusion-based additive manufacturing of earthen materials.
This technology has been validated with kaolinite clay, the most abundant clay mineral on Earth.
Patent Pending
IR CU26250
Licensing Contact: Dovina Qu
