3D Printing Soap
Exploring New Biodegradable Materials and Creative Possibilities
Jing Xie, Yingting Gao, Jin Yu, Tingyu Cheng, HyunJoo Oh [PDF]
In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)
In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)
Overview
3D Printing Soap is a low-cost fabrication workflow that turns everyday soap into a biodegradable, 3D-printable medium. We introduce printable soap recipes and functional additives (color, scent, conductivity, and environmental responsiveness) alongside a DIY printer and evaluation of biodegradability, water solubility, and reusability.
3D Printing Soap is a low-cost fabrication workflow that turns everyday soap into a biodegradable, 3D-printable medium. We introduce printable soap recipes and functional additives (color, scent, conductivity, and environmental responsiveness) alongside a DIY printer and evaluation of biodegradability, water solubility, and reusability.
Why Soap?
- Biodegradable: Soap prints dissolve and break down, reducing plastic waste.
- Expressive + functional: Additives enable scent, color, conductivity, and sensing behaviors.
- Accessible fabrication:A modified open-source setup and custom extruder.
How It Works
(a) 3D modeling, (b) slicing for printing, (c) converting to G-code, (d) loading soap paste, (e) printing layer by layer, (f) air-drying, (g) finished artifact.
Key Features
(a) Temperature-responsive color change, (b) Temporal QR code, (c) pH sensing, (d) Conductive soap
Who Is It For?
- Designers/researchers exploring sustainable & ephemeral fabrication
- Makers/educators interested in DIY-friendly biodegradable materials
- Fabrication practitioners looking for functional material customization (sensing + conductivity)
Research Highlights