Characterization of Emissions from FFF 3D Printer Filaments: Particle Emissions and Metals Analysis

EPA/ORD is currently part of a federal multi-agency partnership with CPSC, NIOSH, NIST, FDA, and NASA through the Nanotechnology Environmental Health Implications (NEHI) working group identifying the information required to ensure safe application and use of additive manufacturing practices in both industrial and consumer settings. As part of the partnership, additional particle emissions from 3D printer filaments has been investigated. Seventeen 3D printer filaments were run in a consumer FFF 3D printer and emissions were analyzed for particle size, number, and emissions rates. Three filaments were further analyzed for changes during the print run concerning shifting particle size distributions and particle number concentrations. One filament was analyzed for elemental content and was found to have ~80% Cu by mass, along with several other impurities. Overall, ABS filaments were found to produce more, larger particles than PLA filaments under the same experimental settings.

Impact/Purpose

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers are used commonly within the U.S. and around the world. Over 50 publications have shown that these printers release large amounts of particles during printing. In addition, they have been shown to release a wide variety of volatile organic compounds and trace metals. EPA/ORD is currently part of a federal multi-agency partnership with CPSC, NIOSH, NIST, FDA, and NASA through the Nanotechnology Environmental Health Implications (NEHI) working group identifying the information required to ensure safe application and use of additive manufacturing practices in both industrial and consumer settings. As part of the partnership, additional particle emissions from 3D printer filaments has been investigated. Seventeen 3D printer filaments were run in a consumer FFF 3D printer and emissions were analyzed for particle size, number, and emissions rates. This information will be combined with additional emission characterization data and toxicity data from university partnerships to understand hazard and possible risk from use of these filaments in a consumer 3D printer.

Citation

Lewis, A., GeorgesMarie Momplaisir, AND P. Byrley. Characterization of Emissions from FFF 3D Printer Filaments: Particle Emissions and Metals Analysis. OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN), Paris, FRANCE, June 25 - 26, 2024.