Chemical Reactors Made By 3-D Printing

An international team of researchers led by Leroy Cronin of the University of Glasgow has applied the up-and-coming technology of 3-D printing to chemical synthesis. The researchers built their own printer and used it to fabricate customized vessels for all manner of chemical reactions. In some cases, the reactors even participate in the reaction. This work is intended to make expensive chemical engineering tools available to everyone, the researchers say.