3D Claying: 3D Printing and Recycling Clay

Abstract

Clay is of great interest as a 3D printing material thanks to its ease of use, recyclability and reusability. This paper analyses the technical aspects of the whole printing process. The behaviour of 3D printing clay is studied with respect to the environment and its specific application as a temporary or definitive formwork system for cement parts. The study addresses the performance of clay and the loss of its properties and characteristics according to the type of protection, whether it is in direct contact with air or cement, or protected with plastics, metal sheets, or combinations of both. A 3D printing system with various printers and 3D models has been considered, observing a direct relationship between the prototype shape, extrusion process and resulting material. The most important variables in 3D printing have been considered: layer height, line thickness, base definition, total model height, overhang angles, overlap between layers, etc. The main technical aspects have been analysed such as raw material properties, kneading, process control, post-treatments and material hardening. As a natural material, clay can be reused indefinitely under certain conditions to be part of a circular economy with low energy consumption and minimal resources. It is concluded that the option of using ceramics in 3D printing for very diverse uses in the architecture, engineering & construction (AEC) sector is very promising due to their ease of implementation, recycling capability and suitability to different environments.

Advancing Sustainable Construction: Insights into Clay-Based Additive Manufacturing for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

“…This transformation, coupled with their availability and expected lower environmental impact, positions clay as a promising candidate for sustainable construction practices, especially when coupled with AM. The Literature currently reveals promising results in using clay with AM to create clay-based complex structures [29][30][31][32][33][34][35], which can be coupled, for instance, with natural fibers to increase their mechanical performance [36], promoting, for instance, responsive structures [37].…”

Based on 3D Virtual Reconstruction of Modern City Landscape Sculpture Planning Design

“…The different social characteristics indicate the different sculptural forms that have witnessed these changes over the centuries. The emergence of digital technology is an inevitable part of the evolution of the times, and sculpture has changed over time (Madrid et al, 2023). The quality of a digital sculpture is closely related to the choice of tools used by the artist to X. Xu create it.…”

Filament-Reinforced 3D Printing of Clay

“…Surpassing traditional methods of clay processing [ 1 ], 3D printing of ceramics started to gain ground in building technology research a few years ago [ 2 , 3 ], yet digital fabrication, allowing for material efficiency [ 4 ] as well as unique aesthetics [ 5 ], primarily focuses on non-sustainable materials such as concrete [ 6 ]. This study aims to address the inquiry of which structural design [ 7 , 8 ], material compositions, and processing techniques [ 9 ] must be devised and what basic material properties [ 10 ] must be acquired to enhance the utilization of 3D printed clay in architectural designs. Building upon research on fiber reinforcement of clay [ 11 ], interest has recently emerged in the possible industrial applications of fibrous reinforcement in the extrusion of 3D printing viscous materials, which is further discussed in this section.…”