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Brazil: Researchers Test the Potential of Recycling PLA for Greater Sustainability in 3D Printing

Brazilian researchers are interested in furthering not only the benefits of 3D printing but also the advantages of PLA’s biodegradability for ease in recycling. Their findings are further outlined in the recently published, ‘Recovery and recycling of a biopolymer as an alternative of sustainability for 3D printing.’ With the intent to motivate users to follow through with mechanical recycling of PLA, the researchers have started a program to do so on their end at the Materials and Design Laboratory at University of State of Pará.

3D printer on the left and PLA filament coil ready to be printed.

As the problem of trash and waste disposal—and the ever-growing amount of plastic—continues to be an enormous point of concern regarding our planet and the ongoing havoc humans wreak—alternatives must be considered for many different materials. Polylactic acid (PLA) is attractive to many users because it is a non-toxic, thermoplastic material—a biopolymer—and it is biodegradable due to its plant-based origins. While PLA and its other popular cousin in 3D printing, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) are both extremely popular, the business of materials is exploding within the industry—and with more prints comes more discards.

With PLA at least there is more of a head-start regarding a positive environmental factor, and users—as well as the industry overall—should realize their options in recycling and leaving behind even less of a footprint. The researchers were able to collect PLA from a local 3D printing services bureau for recycling, and material was separated out by color, and then dried. Afterward, they added wood granules and jute to the PLA material. The material was then melted and analyzed by the team.

“The addition of lignocellulosic reinforcements to thermoplastic polymers is environmentally interesting,” stated the researchers. “The wood waste can return to the production chain and can generate new products when added to thermoplastic resins. The jute fiber mainly used in packaging can now be able to generate other products with PLA biopolymer.”

PLA wastes used in this work (left), enameled pan and silicone mold (right)

PLA waste can be easily recycled due to the low melting temperature of this polymer. The tablets can be saved to use in other researches, or mixed with cellulosic fibers to consolidate composite plates.

Plates of PLA recycled with the addition of wood granules consolidate with no pressure, showing mold contact surface and the opposite surface, where we can observe that the fast cooling after leaked promote an irregular surface texture mainly on the free surface of the sample.

It is possible to observe the aspects of the plates produced with the recycled PLA with addition of jute fiber of 1.5 to 2,00 centimeter, consolidated under pressure, showing the regularity on the surface on both sides. For these samples light color waste was selected.

“Considering the problem of the increase of materials waste generated from 3D printing, a process that tends to become popular, and few researches were found in the literature focusing on the recycling of these materials, this work contributed to the identification the residue of PLA discarded in the digital manufacturing activities as a possible raw material for new products through the recycling process.”

“The waste recycling of 3D printing is a sustainability alternative for this activity; As future research it is proposed to carry out physical and mechanical characterization of the samples made from the recycled PLA,” concluded the researchers.

While recycling is an ongoing conversation around the world, it is especially emphasized in the realm of 3D printing where a wide range of plastics are used and often discarded. Researchers and enthusiasts around the world are engaged in innovative projects to recycle powder into filament, into prosthetics, and even metal stock into components for the military. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: ‘Recovery and recycling of a biopolymer as an alternative of sustainability for 3D printing’)

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Adding Lignin & Curcumin to PLA for 3D Printed Wound Healing Meshes

As innovation in materials grows into a vast science—especially within the 3D and 4D printing realms, medical patients of today and the future can look forward to improved, patient-specific care. Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast study the implications and potential with enhanced PLA in ‘Antioxidant PLA Composites Containing Lignin for 3D Printing Applications: A Potential Material for Healthcare Applications.’

Lignin (LIG) is a natural biopolymer containing antioxidants. To see if these properties would carry through after serving as a coating for PLA pellets and then being 3D printed, the researchers placed the material into an extruder at 200 ◦C. Their suppositions proved correct as not only did the filament work successfully, but it passed on antioxidants.

“A wound healing model compound, curcumin (CUR), was applied in the surface of the mesh and its diffusion was studied,” stated the researchers. “It was observed that the dimensions of the meshes affected the permeation rate of CUR. Accordingly, the design of the mesh could be modified according to the patient’s needs.”

Photographs of: PLA and PLA coated pellets (A); LIG and TC containing PLA filaments (B); LIG and TC containing 1 cm × 1 cm squares prepared using 3D printing (C); and different shapes printed using the filament containing 2% (w/w) LIG (D).

The use of PLA is popular for many reasons, beginning with its percieved biodegradability factor, and lack of toxicity. Suitable for FFF 3D printing, the vegetable-based filament can be combined with other molecules and has shown increasing merit for medical applications, especially in accelerating healing of wounds. This type of study has not been expansive previously, however, harnessing the power of lignin’s antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Lignin is of interest as an extremely abundant polymer that the researchers contend is highly unexploited. It is an affordable material to acquire and use, and useful in a variety of other applications currently.

Scheme of the different meshes produced using FFF.

The researchers used different types of mesh with a 2 percent combination of LIG in the PLA, along with curcumin (CUR) applied in the material and diffused. They discovered better effectiveness with the meshes when using a size of 1mm. The research team also found that the release rate was delayed if they used both the mesh and a soluble PVA film, printed with the mesh on an FDM 3D printer with a dual extruder. The PVA film may also function in dual capacity as it not only delays the release of CUR, but also keeps the wound moist.

“A potential scenario for this material is as a wound dressing material due to the antioxidant activity of the composite material that can contribute to wound closure. Due to the low price of 3D printing equipment and its versatility, these materials can be used in hospitals to print wound dressings for patients on demand,” concluded the researchers.

“Due to the enhanced cell proliferation on antioxidant materials [16], these materials can be used for tissue culture applications or even for regenerative medicine. Due to the versatility of FFF, complex geometries can be prepared such as scaffolds. However, before this type of materials can be implanted into humans, the safety of lignin-based materials should be evaluated. It has been reported before that LIG-based materials are biocompatible [45] but more studies should be performed.”

3D printing continues to make substantial impacts in the medical arena, innovating for better ways to heal wounds, along with improving drug-delivery systems, and assisting in tissue regeneration. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

Experimental setup used to measure drug diffusion trough the 3D printed meshes (A);
photographs of the 3D printed meshes made of PLA and 2% (w/w) LIG (B); and CUR release through
1.5 mm (C) and 1 mm (D) 3D printed meshes (n = 3).

[Source / Images: Antioxidant PLA Composites Containing Lignin for 3D Printing Applications: A Potential Material for Healthcare Applications]

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3D Printing News Briefs: November 23, 2018

We’re starting with a little business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs – Intech confirmed its first order for Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 3D printer, and Roboze CEO Alessio Lorusso has won a prestigious Ernst & Young award. Moving on, researchers are working on 3D printable thermoelectric materials that can convert heat from the surrounding environment and convert it into electricity, while an architecture studio has developed a unique concept for a 3D printed, transportable toilet that converts something very different into electricity. Finally, if you’re looking for a unique gift this holiday season, check out Bloomingdale’s, which is working with Twindom and KODAK to offer 3D printed holiday portraits.

Intech Confirms MetalFAB1 Order with Additive Industries

On the last day of formnext 2018, Bangalore-based Intech, a leader in metal 3D printing in India, confirmed its first order of the MetalFAB1 system from Dutch 3D printer manufacturer Additive Industries. This order marks Additive Industries’ expansion into Asia, and will also help Intech accelerate its business. Application and process development and customer support will be handled from the new regional Additive Industries center in Singapore.

“Accelerating adoption of additive manufacturing is the primary objective at Intech. Moving from prototyping to series production with focus on cost per part with repeatable quality is the way forward. This is a stepping stone for Intech in achieving its goal to meet the demands of customer requirements of printing large parts with excellent quality,” explained Sridhar Balaram, the CEO of Intech. “Intech has been working with various customers in different industry verticals by identifying parts for mass production as a proof of concept. With Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 we can now scale for volume. The system is unique in the industry and we are excited to add this to our fleet of equipment.”

Roboze CEO Alessio Lorusso Wins Award from Ernst & Young

Alessio Lorusso

Alessio Lorusso, the CEO and founder of Italian 3D printing company Roboze, was recently awarded the prestigious 2018 Startup Award by Ernst & Young (EY) at its Entrepreneur Of the Year 2018 awards. Established for the first time during the 2015 awards, the Startup Award is awarded for contributing to a major growth of the Italian, and worldwide, economy, and is dedicated to an individual’s ability to create value with a spirit of innovation and a strategic vision. The award aims to make young, bright minds, who create a company from an innovative idea, more visible.

“In 2015, when we presented our first solution to the global market, I could not even imagine to achieve our goals in such a short time. We faced the logics of the machines design for additive manufacturing with clear, real and innovative competitive advantages. The market chooses us because our technology is definitely the best one, as specifically designed and produced to meet the real needs of the manufacturing companies,” said Lorusso. “This award is the result of the entire Roboze team’s hard work and constant commitment; so I want to dedicate this to each member of it. It was hard but we always believed it and this award does confirm that we are following the right way to conquer and revolutionize the whole global market.”

Thermoelectric Materials Converting Heat into Electricity

Flexible thermoelectric device embedded in a glove for generating electricity by body heat. [mage: Dr. Song Yun Cho, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology]

According to a review of new research in the Science and Technology of Advanced Materials journal, a team of scientists are working to design thermoelectric materials that can harvest heat from the environment, then convert it into electricity in order to power appliances and devices. Products made with these materials, such as wearable devices, could be more cost-effective, as they won’t need to recharge, change, or dispose of batteries. The team, which published a paper called “Thermoelectric materials and applications for energy harvesting power generation,” is investigating three different types of conducting materials, including inorganic and organic.

The abstract reads, “Thermoelectrics, in particular solid-state conversion of heat to electricity, is expected to be a key energy harvesting technology to power ubiquitous sensors and wearable devices in the future. A comprehensive review is given on the principles and advances in the development of thermoelectric materials suitable for energy harvesting power generation, ranging from organic and hybrid organic–inorganic to inorganic materials. Examples of design and applications are also presented.”

Most organic thermoelectric devices involve polymers, and semiconducting ones are more lightweight and inexpensive, can hold heat better than conventional inorganic semiconductors, and are flexible enough to be 3D printed. Inorganic thermoelectric devices can convert heat into electricity, but aren’t that flexible. The researchers say that while thermoelectric devices could actually replace traditional batteries in many applications someday, a lot more work is required first. Time will only tell with this one.

Spark’s 3D Printed Toilet 

Speaking of electricity, architecture studio Spark has developed an innovative concept for a transportable toilet, made with 3D printed elements, that can actually convert human waste into electricity. Fittingly, the studio launched its Big Arse Toilet on Monday to coincide with World Toilet Day. The module was designed for use in remote villages in India, where the UN is working hard to tackle the sanitation and hygiene issues stemming from open defecation. The toilet elements would be 3D printed from bamboo fibers mixed with biopolymer resin, and the completed module would be anchored to a 3D printed reinterpretation of a traditional biogas dome buried underground, which uses waste to generate and store gas.

Spark told Dezeen, “The Big Arse toilet reinterprets the use and organisation of traditional bio-gas domes to create electricity and gas for those communities that have no access to power networks and utility infrastructure that we take for granted.

“Bio-gas is a product of the breakdown of organic matter, in the case of the Big Arse Toilet the biogas is a product of human waste, food waste and agricultural waste. The biogas can be used directly for activities such as cooking or can be used to drive a micro CHP turbine that converts the gas into electricity.”

Bloomingdale’s Offering Personalized Holiday 3D Printed Portraits

3D body scanning leader Twindom, a brand licensee of Kodak, is offering a unique gift promotion this holiday season to shoppers at the Bloomingdale’s stores in San Francisco and New York City: personalized, 3D printed holiday portraits, made with the KODAK Full Body 3D Scanner until the end of December, just in time for Christmas. Shoppers who want to have a 3D printed portrait made can either make an appointment or just walk in to the store.

Once there, simply enter your information, walk into the KODAK Full Body 3D Scanner, and pose for the scan, which only takes 1⁄4 of a second to complete. Then, review the 3D capture, choose your size – 3 to 14 inches – and place your order, which will be 3D printed in full color and ship in about 1-2 weeks. Pricing starts at around $69 for the 3D printed portraits, and local support at each store location is provided by Twindom’s local partners: PocketMe, PeoplePrints 3D, and Memories in 3D.

Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below. 

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3D Printing Used to Decorate Biodegradable KOFFINs that are Personalized for the Deceased

While the way we live is vastly different from the way we did 100, 50, and even 20 years ago, the way we say goodbye to loved ones when they’ve passed away is still pretty much the same. Funerals are not easy for a number of reasons, but the last thing on anyone’s mind should be the cost of these emotional events and ceremonies; unfortunately, that’s not often the case. According to SunLife, funeral costs have shot up over 70% in the last decade.

With this in mind, Koffin, a Liverpool startup founded by artist Gina Czarnecki in 2014, is working with business program LCR 4.0 and using Industry 4.0 technology – specifically 3D printing and advanced material testing – to help cut down on the cost of funerals with customizable, biodegradable eco-coffins.

“Funeral prices are increasing drastically, and people deserve the right to a personalised send-off that isn’t going to break the bank. Planning a funeral can be a difficult time, but we’ve found that having something tangible to take control of and make your own improves people’s wellbeing and peace of mind,” said Czarnecki.

“The work with LCR 4.0 has enabled us to test our design that creates a cost-effective alternative that emits less CO2 emissions than a natural plant.”

Together with brand consultant Clare Barry, Czarnecki set out to redesign the coffin – typically a narrow wooden box. But a KOFFIN, according to the startup’s website, is “a light, eco-friendly capsule made from bioplastic,” which is definitely different from the more traditional, pricey Victorian-style coffins we’re used to seeing.

“The way we currently bury or cremate our loved ones is poisoning the earth,” the Koffin website states.

“Besides… your funeral is your last hurrah, right?

“…So shouldn’t your coffin be as unique as you are?”

The 100% biodegradable KOFFINS were created to help people take back their rights to a personal, affordable funeral. They are made with a lignin-based biopolymer and don’t require any glues or metals to hold them together. They produce less ash residue than other coffins, are leak-proof without having to use wax linings, and will decompose in the earth just like natural tree wood. Additionally, the oval capsules can be completely personalized with different colors, hand-written messages, photographs, and a variety of attachable, 3D printed decorations.

During the development of the KOFFIN prototype, the startup was in need of expert technical support during testing. So Koffin turned to LCR 4.0, partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and its partners Sensor City and Liverpool John Moores University to test its inexpensive, sustainable prototype, and use 3D printing for added personalization.

“Koffin is unlike any other start-up that we’ve helped to date,” said Jaime Mora-Fernandez, LCR 4.0 product design engineer at Sensor City. “The work carried out illustrates how new technologies can help businesses in a wide variety of sectors transform the way they approach the design and manufacturing process.”

The LCR 4.0 team at Sensor City helped Koffin complete a finite element analysis (FEA) of the design to find the right material thickness to withhold sufficient pressure. This helps reduce material costs, which will trickle down to lower consumer costs. Then, the partners tested the prototype, and completed a report that concluded the material’s thickness would be robust enough for its purpose.


After four long years of development, the startup has officially gone into production with its first run of biodegradable, customizable, eco-friendly KOFFINs.

“Our involvement with the LCR 4.0 scheme has resulted in outputs being produced in a timely and efficient manner, using expert advice and linking disciplines seamlessly,” said Czarnecki.

Starting today, 20 of the KOFFINs, decorated through a national public call-out, will be displayed at the Oratory, next to the Anglican Cathedral, in Liverpool; some of them even bear some interesting 3D printed decorations. Soon, the startup will also launch a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise the necessary funds to take the KOFFINs to market.

 

This isn’t the first time that 3D printing has been utilized in the death care industry. We’ve seen 3D printed urns, 3D printed busts of the deceased, and even 3D printed jewelry made from the ashes of our loved ones. As 3D printing also comes into play often with sustainability efforts, the KOFFINs seem to be a perfect mix of life and death.

Discuss this story and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.