The increase in number of 3D printers found in households and workplaces has led to a growing concern over their hazardous emissions. One category of emissions from fused deposition modelling (FDM) printers consists of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While VOC emissions from common pristine polymers have been investigated, these studies tend to focus on thermal degradation products that result directly from the polymer backbone. Many 3D printer filaments contain unreacted polymerization initiators or utilize additives to achieve various aesthetic and structural properties that may influence VOC emissions. Six filaments are highlighted in this work due to the advertised additives they contain or the discovery of an unadvertised additive during emissions analysis. The filaments include: a commercially-available, 3D printer nanocomposite filament of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), three metal-containing polylactic acid (PLA) filaments, a PLA filament that was found to contain siloxanes, and a polycarbonate (PC) filament that emitted chlorinated VOCs. VOC emissions were quantified and characterized under a variety of conditions to simulate the thermal degradation that takes place during FDM. In the ABS-CNT filament, increasing residence time and temperature resulted in significant increases in VOC emissions and oxygen content of the reaction gas influenced the VOC profile. The presence of CNTs in the filament influenced VOC yields and product ratios and suggests a reaction mechanism involving an adsorbed styrene species. The metal-containing PLA filaments emitted different VOC concentrations due to the type and amount of metal present in each. The PLA filament emitted six siloxane compounds under standard printing conditions, with some in higher concentration than any other common PLA VOC emission. The presence of unreacted phosgene in the PC filament led to the formation of chlorinated VOCs, most alarmingly, chlorobenzene. The present study has identified an increased risk associated with common additives used in 3D printing filaments, both advertised by the manufacturer and those not known to the user.

VOC emissions influenced by polymer additives in 3D printing

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.