AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Characterization of 3-D Printer Aerosol Emissions
MARIT MEYER, Kristin Bunker, Gary Casuccio, NASA Glenn Research Center
Abstract Number: 262 Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract The emerging market of small, affordable 3-D printers has dramatically increased manufacturing capabilities for individuals, small businesses, and even astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). These opportunities are accompanied by the risk of aerosol exposure, bringing what are traditionally ‘manufacturing aerosols’ into office spaces, homes and into the limited air of the ISS. Furthermore, 3-D printers are not always operated with special ventilation or personal protective equipment. Ultrafine particle emissions from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic extrusion materials have been researched and documented (Stephens et al. 2013), but many additional materials are now available for this additive manufacturing technique. Multi-material or composite material feedstock, powdered metal, and ceramic filament 3-D printing are now possible, but the aerosols generated from these materials in the 3-D printing process have not been characterized. Aerosol emissions from several types of 3-D printers and several different printing materials have been collected directly onto a transmission electron grid using a thermophoretic sampler (TPS). The grids were examined in an ultra-high resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Electron microscopy images and energy dispersive-spectroscopy spectra will be presented that provide information on the particle size, morphology, and elemental composition of the particles being released during 3-D printing. In addition, particle size distributions obtained from the electron microscopy analysis will be presented and compared to concentration and size distribution data from aerosol reference instruments.
Reference: Stephens,B., Azimi, P., El Orch, Z. and Ramos, T. , 2013. Ultrafine particle emissions from desktop 3D printers. Atmospheric Environment 79 334-339.