Abstract
Being at the interface of the geosphere, the biosphere, and the
atmosphere makes the soil a particularly challenging object.
Nevertheless, its importance in ecological and environmental domains
should encourage researchers to make use of new technologies, like 3D
printing, to improve their comprehension of soils. With 3D printing we
can build up objects by adding materials layer-by-layer based on a
three-dimensional model, producing almost any geometrically complex
shape or feature in a wide range of materials. Here we present the major
challenges and opportunities of 3D printing for its application into
soil science. We show that despite the remarkable achievements in 3D
printing development during the past few years, it is still under-used
in the field of soil science. Besides the 3D printing technology uses
considering the soil as a source of mineral raw materials, or as the
basis for the development of technical infrastructure, new researches
highlight the functioning of the soil itself as an ecological
compartment. Indeed, one of the most important challenges for the
application of 3D printing in this area is the accurate modeling and
replication of the soil structure and composition. This would require
3D-printed objects to be made of biocompatible yet chemically and
mechanically stable materials manufactured under controlled conditions,
which can mimic the many interactions occurring at this scale. Having
3D-printed objects with strict and controlled composition and structure
could help academics and researchers to conduct reproducible experiments
and gain a better understanding of the parameters controlling soil
ecology and functioning. This opens a new way to broader utilization of
3D printing in soil science in the near future.