Sustainable 3D Printing of Recyclable Biocomposite Empowered by Flash Graphene

Sustainabi l i t y of 3D printing can be reflected in three main aspects: deployment of renewable inks, recycling of printed products, and applications for energy-and materials-savings. In this work, we demonstrated sustainable vat-photopolymerization (VPP)-based 3D printing in a whole life-cycle process by developing a renewable ink made of soybean oil and natural polyphenols and recycling the ink for reprinting or conver t i n g printed biocomposite to flash graphene (FG) as reinforcing nanofillers in the biocomposite. We also realized its applications in fabricating lightweight, materials-saving 3D structures, acoustic metamaterials, and disposable micro-reactors for time-saving and efficiency-improving synthesis of metal-organic framework nanostructures. In addition to enhancing the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the biopolymers by 42% and 232% with only 0.6 wt % FG nanofillers, respectiv e l y , FG improved the printabi l i t y of the ink in forming 3D tubula r structures, which are usually very hard to be achieved in transparent resin. Success of this work wil l inspire further development for sustainability in 3D printing.

Automated summary

This article discusses the sustainability of 3D printing in terms of using renewable inks, recycling printed products, and energy-and materials-saving applications. By developing renewable inks and materials, recycling printed products, and utilizing them for other purposes, the article demonstrates sustainable management of the entire life cycle of 3D printing, inspiring further development in this field.