# 3-D printing--now with glass

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-now-with-glass/730779>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 12, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-now-with-glass/730779 "2015-09-12T05:34:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-now-with-glass/730779/1 "2015-09-12T05:34:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> It’s already possible to use tiny granules of glass in a powder bed with conventional 3-D printing techniques like jetting and sintering, but the products turn out opaque. Now researchers at MIT have demonstrated the first-ever machine that can print molten glass through a nozzle and make transparent glass objects layer by layer according to digital instructions.

[http://www.technologyreview.com/news/540926/3-d-printing-breaks-the-glass-barrier/](http://www.technologyreview.com/news/540926/3-d-printing-breaks-the-glass-barrier/)

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**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-printing-now-with-glass/730779/2 "2015-09-12T08:52:13Z")

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It’s basically the same as printing with a transparent plastic filament; it’s transparent yes, but you can’t really see through it because the layering distorts the light path through the object.

Pretty impressive though, not just handling those temperatures at the nozzle, but managing to push it through in a controlled manner.

Side note, right now I’m printing a cyclonic dust separator I designed an hour ago. 🆒