Stereolithography model brings Leonardo to life

A Huntsman Advanced Materials product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 21, 2008

Huntsman Advanced Materials provided the advanced technologies and innovative materials needed to build a high-quality stereolithography model of a rare 6.7m-long fossil.

A 77-million-year-old mummified dinosaur, called Leonardo, discovered in Montana, USA, is scheduled to go "on tour" this year for display at museums throughout the USA.

The exhibition is being made possible by major corporations including the Ford Motor Company and Huntsman Advanced Materials that provided the advanced technologies and innovative materials needed to build a high-quality stereolithography (SL) model of the rare 6.7m-long fossil.

Built in 30 different photopolymer blocks, the model replicates intricate details preserved in the unique dinosaur mummy including skin, scales, muscle and foot pads.

Among the materials used for the model are Huntsman's RenShape SL 7510 multifunctional resin and RenShape SL 7800 and SL 7810 next-generation, advanced hybrid photopolymers.

Ford built each 500 x 500 x 500mm model section from data produced by a white light scan of the dinosaur.

The 300dot/in scan that is accurate to 0.25mm combined with the ability of the Huntsman SL resins to replicate intricate detail supported the reproduction of fossil features as small as a grain of sand.

The robust model parts also exhibited excellent surface quality straight from the vat to minimise secondary finishing.

Moreover, amber-coloured RenShape SL 7800 photopolymer and white RenShape SL 7810 ABS-like resin reduced processing time with good green strength.

Once all model pieces were complete, they were assembled and bonded together.

A silicone rubber mould is now being built and a polyurethane casting is being made.

The painted polyurethane dinosaur will be virtually indistinguishable from the mummified Leonardo fossil and will be tough enough to withstand the rigours of shipping and handling during the multi-location tour.

According to Peter R Huntsman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Huntsman Advanced Materials: "We are very pleased to be part of a consortium of companies that is working together to bring this amazing scientific discovery to museums throughout the country".

"It's fascinating to witness the application of today's advanced materials and technologies to the replication of a prehistoric creature that roamed the earth nearly 80 million years ago".

Leonardo is a mummified duck-billed dinosaur that died when he was three or four years old.

One of the most complete brachylophosaurus dinosaur fossils found to date, he was a plant-eater that could walk on four legs as well as two.

He had a sharp beak at the front of his large head so that he could easily tear tough leaves from plants and trees.

Leonardo is the subject of particular scientific interest because his mummified remains offer unprecedented detail.

For example, the fossil contains varied skin textures over different parts of his body providing scientists with clues as to how Leonardo lived.

Experts also discovered that Leonardo had the same digestive organ known as a crop that is characteristic of modern plant-eating birds.

The dinosaur was even preserved with the remains of his last meal - a salad of ferns, magnolias and conifers - still in his stomach along with pollen from more than 40 different plants that are being studied by scholars.

Furthermore, paleontologists are examining Leonardo's fossilised muscles and the pads at the bottom of his three-toed foot to learn about his range of motion.

Dr Robert T Bakker, Leonardo Science Team member, describes this amazing fossil as "more complete, better than any other dinosaur fossil found".

According to Dr Bakker: "Leonardo speaks to us".

"This fossil is so complete, it answers questions we never thought to ask".