Emissions from the fused filament fabrication 3D printing with lignocellulose/polylactic acid filament
The application of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing for offices, educational institutions, and small prototyping businesses has recently attracted increased attention. Thermal-fused filaments could emit potentially hazardous atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study evaluated the particle and VOCs emission characteristics of an FFF 3D printer with lignocellulose/polylactic acid (PLA) filament to reduce emissions. The PM2.5, PM0.2-10, and VOCs emission behaviors of the FFF 3D printer with a lignocellulose/PLA filament were investigated in a test chamber under different printing conditions. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was applied to analyze the formation of VOCs from lignocellulose/PLA filaments. Analysis indicated that particle formation dominated the heating process, whereas VOCs were mainly released during the printing process. The results further showed that printing at higher relative humidity and high filament feeding temperatures triggered higher VOCs emissions. In addition, high humidity facilitated particle agglomeration and reduced PM concentration. Printing at higher filament feeding temperatures also resulted in high particle emissions. Finally, Py-GC/MS analysis determined the decomposition products of the lignocellulose/PLA filament corresponding to the main ingredients of VOCs.