Closed-loop recycling of additive manufacturing waste for value-added automotive foam applications

Polyurethane (PU) foams are used in various automotive applications due to their low cost and weight and highly tunable mechanical and physical properties. This article explores the effect of adding recycled thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder collected from 3D printing waste as filler material on thermal stability and mechanical, physical, and sound absorption properties of flexible PU foam. The incorporation of TPE powder at low filler content, 2.5 wt%, increased the compression modulus by over 140%, tear resistance by over 25%, and Young's Modulus by 50% compared to the control. The addition of 2.5 wt% TPU powder increased the compression modulus by 61%, tear resistance by 31%, and Young's Modulus by 84%. The addition of TPU powder at 2.5 wt% showed improvement in sound absorption of plane waves (up to 20% at 2500 Hz) for a frequency range of 50-3500 Hz. Adding an additive manufacturing waste stream into PU foam as a filler reduced waste to landfill and created a superior foam product. This article exemplifies the benefits of creating a closed-loop plastic industry to improve polymer materials and protect the earth.

Automated summary

This article investigates the influence of adding recycled thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder as filler to polyurethane (PU) foam on its thermal stability, mechanical, physical, and sound absorption properties. The addition of 2.5 wt% TPE powder significantly improved the compression modulus, tear resistance, and Young's Modulus, while the addition of 2.5 wt% TPU powder showed improvement in sound absorption. Incorporating additive manufacturing waste into PU foam as a filler reduces landfill waste and creates a superior foam product. This article showcases the benefits of building a closed-loop plastic industry to enhance polymer materials and protect the environment.