Present state of 3D printing from glass

Abstract

This paper deals with the issue of additive technologies using glass. At the beginning, our research dealt with a review of the current state and specification of potentially interesting methods and solutions. At present, this technology is being actively developed and studied in glass research. However, as the project started at the Department of Glass Producing Machines and Robotics, the following text will be more focused on the existing 3D printing machinery and basic technological approaches. Although “additive manufacturing” in the sense of adding materials has been used in glass manufacturing since the beginning of the production of glass by humans, the term additive manufacturing nowadays refers to 3D printing. Currently, there are several approaches to 3D printing of glass that have various outstanding advantages, but also several serious limitations. The resulting products very often have a high degree of shrinkage and rounding (after sintering), and specific shape structures (after the application in layers), but they generally have a large number of defects (especially bubbles or crystallization issues). Some technologies do not lead to the production of transparent glass and, therefore, its optical properties are significantly restricted. So far, the additive manufacturing of glass do not produce goods that are price competitive to goods produced by conventional glass-making technologies. If 3D glass printing is to be successful as an industrial and/or highly aesthetically valuable method, then it must bring new and otherwise unachievable features and properties, as with 3D printing of plastic, metal, or ceramics. Nowadays, these technologies promise to be such a tool and are beginning to attract more and more interest.

3D printing for flow biocatalysis

“…When it comes to the most common material in terms of all kinds of reactors, glass is already on the market for 3D printing, and maybe such materials could already start to replace some traditionally manufactured glass microstructures. [75][76][77] 5.2 Time-to-process Flow biocatalysis meets essential requirements of sustainable processes, like high reusability of the systems, time and costefficiency with low reaction times and small-scale equipment, and minimal waste production. 7 Incorporating additive manufacturing in the establishment of biocatalytic ow systems has a strong potential to enhance these aspects further.…”

“…When it comes to the most common material in terms of all kinds of reactors, glass is already on the market for 3D printing, and maybe such materials could already start to replace some traditionally manufactured glass microstructures. 75–77…”

The assessment and treatment of waste from glass fibre production for use as a filler in composites

“…The glass melt, in the form of a red-hot viscous mass, is produced at a temperature of 1500-1700 °C when it is fed into blowing or press-blowing machines for bottle production. The glass thus produced may be clear or coloured [2,3]. Due to its properties, composition and versatility, so-called E-glass occupies a major share (>90 %) in the production of glass fibres.…”

“…In the production of glass fibres, various wastes are generated at different stages of production. In nature, it is a combination of glass fibres, fine dust but also larger glass grains, for example, also arising from leakages during production [2,5].…”