Materialise has announced it is expanding its range of materials to include Polyamide 11 (PA11). The 100% bio-based polymer is made from sustainably farmed castor beans and offers “excellent properties for eyewear”. 3D printing, with Ultrasint PA11, is the driving force behind a brand-new collection of sustainable, 3D-printed eyewear by a Belgian eyewear brand called Odette Lunettes. The collection is the result of a collaboration that brings together the designs of Odette Lunettes, the 3D printing capability of Materialise and the sporting background of former cycling world champion Tom Boonen. The frames are produced in Ultrasint® PA11 by Forward AM, the brand of BASF 3D Printing Solutions. The bio-based material is responsibly sourced from castor beans, based on Arkema Rilsan® Polyamide 11. Arkema develops advanced polyamide 11 materials, derived from consciously sourced plants without causing deforestation. The company, along with BASF 3D Printing Solutions, Jayant Agro- Organics and Solidaridad, is a founding member of the Pragati Initiative for sustainable castor bean farming in India, which has trained several thousand farmers on good agricultural and socio-economic practices.

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