3D Printed smokeless powder

[Cris T]

I am too old and no longer can take on projects. But If I could. I would develop 3D printed smokeless powder. There are so many possible applications. This is just an idea for you folks that have the means and education to work on this project.
This video shows just one of the possible applications:

[Havok7416]

I don't understand how this would work. You can't 3D print gunpowder...

[MUSTANG]

Until someone does.

It is an interesting concept; perhaps someone will achieve it some day. It seems that doing so will be far more costly in both time and materials should it be achieved.

[K43]

If powder can be extruded, adding a chemical binder or light reactive binder should be doable. Powder has been extruded and cut for over a century. We just need to solidify it quickly in the printer.

[jdgabbard]

3d Printing, with the exclusion of SLS, is just extruding. Nothing to really "3d Print". You just need to extrude it and cut it at the same length, then dry it. Formulating it is a bigger hurdle, given a lot of the ingredients are somewhat restricted. If you want different size kernels, you just adjust the diameter of the die, or the length of cut. There is nothing to 3d Print in my opinion.

[jaguarxk120]

Get a copy of Phil Sharp's book "Handloading",
read the section on the manufacture of smokeless
gun powder.
I think you will think really hard before starting to
"3D Print" gun powder!!!

[mmorecycler]

Ya, running gunpowder-laced filament at 250C degrees thru your hotend, would win you a darwin award... You might have to then 3d print new fingers.
I 3d print with a bambu lab P1S, I would never even think of doing this.

[357Mag]

Chris -

Howdy!

3D printing known as “ additive manufacturing “ is typically accomplished in a dedicated
Machine, that deposits materiel in thin “ layers “. Add more layers as directed by a digital file of the object….. hence the moniker “ additive manufacturing”.

3D printing sometimes requires some sort of carrier materiel, that allows deposit of the actual
“ additive “ materiel that is desired to be present in the item’s final form
For combustible gun powder, any “ carrier “ materiel present as part of a gunpowder “ slurry “ would need to either be volatile enough to evaporate off on its own… or be otherwise “ cooked “ off.
All that would be desired to have present in the end product, is completely combustible gunpowder
( to the max extent possible ).

It remains to be seen if this can be done. It sounds similar to “ careless “ ammo technology,
In some respects. Make powder rods, tubes, cubes ? After all… there are good reasons why small arms gunpowders have the established “ kernel “ shapes and sizes that they do.


With regards,
357Mag

[popper]

Ridiculous idea.