Biodegradable Filament for 3D Printing Process: A Review

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a transformative fabrication process that allows 3D objects to be formed by the layer deposition of the materials. At present, a fused deposition modeling 3D printer uses non-biodegradable materials to fabricate the filament for 3D printing. The innovative manufacturing strategies and possibilities accelerated the use of different kinds of biological materials in 3D printing or additive manufacturing. A lot of research has been taken place on the development of biofilaments to replace the modern/classic plastic filament to mitigate the issue of sustainability. Moreover, the use of biofilament will reduce the cost of the filament which limits the use of petroleum-based filament. This paper analyses the development of various 3D printing biofilaments and their fabrication process reported in the different literature.

Study of the Thermomechanical Properties of Photocured Resins Based on Curable Monomers from PLA and PHB for SLA 3D Printing

“…Certain biopolymers containing ester bonds in their structures, such as poly­(lactide) (PLA) or poly­(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), are primarily used in various applications such as a material for food packaging, − clothing, particular functional components, automotive, agricultural uses, or specific medicinal purposes with the incorporation of FDM 3D printing technology . Once these biopolymer structures reach their functional limit, often determined by their molecular weight decrease or a state of visual degradation, they cannot be effectively mechanically recycled and used for material production due to their considerably lower quality and worse properties compared to a virgin polymer manufactured for the first time. − The chemical structure of PLA and P3HB can lead to a promising molecule reuse idea: the ester bonds of partially degraded and materially unusable macromolecules can undergo a transesterification reaction using alcohols such as methanol or ethanol as a nucleophile, resulting in a process called chemical recycling.…”

Biopolymeric additive manufacturing: The bidirectional interplay of synthetic and natural systems

“…Polylactic acid, or PLA, is one of the most commonly used synthetic biodegradable polymers, produced by acid condensation or acid ester ring opening polymerization [54]. PLA has a variety of desirable properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, high strength, high modulus, thermoplasticity, and the ability to be made from annually renewable resources [55,56]. Lactic acid itself is chiral and thus can exist as two enantiomers, L-and D-lactic acid, so PLA can exist as poly(Llactide), poly(D-lactide), and poly(DL-lactide) [57].…”

Analysis of the Solubility of a Support Filament Made of a Copolymer of Vinyl Alcohol and Butanediol in Aqueous Solutions with Variable pH

“…The OECD Global Plastics Outlook report shows that the amount of plastic waste will increase by 2060 [OECD, 2022]. It is therefore important to prepare appropriate technology and infrastructure enabling effective recycling of polymers of biological origin [Reddy, Raju, 2018;Amrita et al, 2022]. One of the materials that are increasingly used in 3D printing is PETG Analysis of the Solubility of a Support Filament Made of a Copolymer of Vinyl Alcohol and Butanediol in Aqueous Solutions with Variable pH (polyethylene terephthalate glycol).…”