Polymer Recycling in Additive Manufacturing: an Opportunity for the Circular Economy

Abstract

This article is a short review of the circular material economy and recycling in the additive manufacturing (AM) of polymers. In the recent years, there has been a surge regarding the production of numerous products through AM of various polymers. AM can provide an opportunity for a better manufacturing solution to facilitate productivity and sustainability in the circular economy. AM with a circular economy approach can provide adequate incentives for the recycling and reuse of polymers. It is therefore crucial to analyse the possibilities of recycling and reuse of polymers in AM. Some ongoing research has attempted to remanufacture polymers from recycled materials. This is necessary because polymer waste is a critical threat to the environment making an effective end-of-life treatment imperative. This review aims to provide a holistic view of recycling and reuse of AM materials. Studies investigating remanufactured feedstock materials and polymers as well as composites have been reviewed. The findings point to the fact that there are significant opportunities for recyclable polymers to be used in the development of AM products.

Development and Characterization of a 3D Printed Cocoa Bean Shell Filled Recycled Polypropylene for Sustainable Composites

“…Additionally, 3D printing contributes to sustainable design thanks to its flexibility in manufacturing materials and customization capacity. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) develops materials through layer-by-layer addition using 3D model data [ 31 , 32 ]. This 3D printing process allows complex shapes with reduced material waste and manufacturing time [ 3 , 33 , 34 ].…”

“…Filaments are fed into a nozzle, where the material is melted by heating above glass transition or melting temperature [ 36 ]. Following a computer-assisted design (CAD) model, the nozzle moves and deposits the melted material layer-by-layer [ 31 , 37 , 38 ]. For the FFF process, amorphous polymers are preferred over semicrystalline ones because amorphous polymers have lower solidification shrinkage and a liquid-like structure in the solid-state [ 39 ].…”

Circular Economy and Sustainability of the Clothing and Textile Industry

“…These ideas have already been coined in recent review articles with much more depth. The articles/book chapters by Jia et al ( 2020 ); Moorhouse and Moorhouse ( 2017 ); Saha et al ( 2021 ); Shanmugam et al ( 2020 ); Shirvanimoghaddam et al ( 2020 ) are recommended to the readers who wish to get a much detailed account of the ideas below.…”

Recycling and Utilization of Polymers for Road Construction Projects: An Application of the Circular Economy Concept

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