Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, Catania, CT, 95125, Italy.
Macromol Rapid Commun. 2024 Sep;45(17):e2400249. doi: 10.1002/marc.202400249. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
This review aims to present the different approaches to lessen the environmental impact of the extrusion-based additive manufacturing (MEX) process of thermoplastic-based resins and protect the ecosystem. The benefits and drawbacks of each alternative, including the use of biomaterials or recycled materials as feedstock, energy efficiency, and polluting emissions reduction, have been examined. First, the technological option of using a pellet-fed printer was compared to a filament-fed printer. Then, common biopolymers utilized in MEX applications are discussed, along with methods for improving the mechanical properties of associated printed products. The introduction of natural fillers in thermoplastic resins and the use of biocomposite filaments have been proposed to improve the specific performance of printed items, highlighting the numerous challenges related to their extrusion. Various polymers and fillers derived from recycling are presented as feeding raw materials for printers to reduce waste accumulation, showing the inferior qualities of the resulting goods when compared to printed products made from virgin materials. Finally, the energy consumption and emissions released into the atmosphere during the printing process are discussed, with the potential for both aspects to be controlled through material selection and operating conditions.
本综述旨在介绍不同方法来减轻基于挤出的热塑性树脂增材制造（MEX）过程对环境的影响，保护生态系统。已经研究了每种替代方法的优缺点，包括使用生物材料或回收材料作为原料、能源效率和减少污染排放。首先，将使用粒料进料打印机的技术选项与使用线材进料打印机的技术选项进行了比较。然后，讨论了 MEX 应用中常用的生物聚合物，以及提高相关打印产品机械性能的方法。已经提出在热塑性树脂中引入天然填料和使用生物复合材料线材来提高打印制品的特定性能，突出了与挤出相关的许多挑战。作为打印机进料原料，提出了各种源自回收的聚合物和填料，以减少废物积累，显示出与由原始材料制成的打印产品相比，所得制品质量较差。最后，讨论了打印过程中消耗的能源和向大气中排放的废气，通过材料选择和操作条件，可以控制这两个方面。
