Zymergen Inc. announced an R&D supply agreement to provide Zymergen Z2TM polyimide powder to 3D4Makers for use in high performance 3D printing applications. 3D4Makers will convert the powder to filament, offering its first-ever polyimide filament to customers for use across a wide range of applications including aerospace, automotive, and transportation. Polyimide is a very high-strength polymer that is inherently flame retardant, has excellent insulating
properties and excellent thermal stability. Zymergen Z2 polyimide is easy to 3D print and demonstrates low warp while having significant Z strength. The material has been tested by leading high-temperature 3D printing manufacturers miniFactory, Orion AM, Aon3D, and others. Zymergen uses machine learning, genomics, and automation to look for biomolecules that perform better than petroleum-based chemicals. In this way, Zymergen aims to make bioinspired materials that are more efficient and designed to displace petroleum-based materials. Zymergen Z2 polymer has critical advantages for printing parts that require higher tensile strength and improved yield, showing significant improvement in tensile strength over incumbents.