Vitriprint

Plastics have become omnipresent in our society. They help to keep us healthy, mobile, safe and warm with their application in healthcare, transportation, food packaging and energy. Since their emerge halfway through the twentieth century, plastics have been valued for their affordability and durability. Unfortunately, these benefits come at a cost. The world-wide production of plastics increased to 400 million tons in 2022. Currently, only 15% of the plastic waste generated is recycled, while the vast majority is incinerated for energy recovery, discarded in landfills or ends up in the natural environment. To drastically reduce leakage of plastics in the environment, an industrial system is required that enables recycling, repair and reuse of plastics, according to the principle of a circular economy.

The reason for this project

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has emerged as an important tool to fabricate physical objects and devices from three-dimensional models produced in a virtual world. It is considered an essential technology for both rapid prototyping and scaled manufacturing in aerospace, automotive and medical industries. Within the next ten years, the global market for 3D printing materials is forecasted to grow over $30 billion. The largest revenues belong to polymeric materials, such as filaments for extrusion-based fused deposition modeling (FDM) and thermosetting polymers for vat photo-polymerization (VP) 3D printing. The latter currently claims about half of the 3D printing materials market and outperforms other AM technologies in terms of feature resolution and surface finishing. 

What problem does this project solve?

AM promises a reduced amount of plastic waste generated in the process with respect to conventional subtractive manufacturing. While FDM and SLS rely on reprocessable thermoplastic inks, VP typically creates thermosets with permanently crosslinked polymeric networks. While these thermosetting polymers excel in chemical and mechanical robustness, the covalent cross-links prevent them from being repaired when broken or recycled after usage. Consequently, VP printed items have to be discarded which further contributes to plastic pollution.

In order for 3D printing to reach its full potential, the commercialization of sustainable alternatives is required, according to professionals in the field. The industry has to change its products and processes in order to meet guidelines like the European Green Deal, that aims at transforming the current economy into one that is sustainable, climate neutral, and circular by 2050. This means that photopolymers for VP should not only have circular end-of-life scenarios (recycle, reuse, repair), but should also be made from renewable feedstock instead of fossil raw materials. 

The project team

The Vitriprint consortium consists of eleven parties. Six partners from the business community who jointly represent the additive manufacturing production chain, from raw material to product: Cargill, Chemtrix, Liqcreate, Binder3D, Ultimaker and CHILL. They are working with five knowledge institutions with the necessary expertise in the field of material development and 3D printing: Maastricht University, University of Groningen, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Hanze University of Applied Sciences and NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. Within the project, researchers and students at various levels (bachelor's, master's and PhD) are working with engineers from the industry.

Where do we stand now?

In the first year, the consortium focused on synthesizing new chemical compounds - based on natural raw materials - needed to make the recyclable 3D printer inks. Various materials based on lignin, sugar and fatty acids have been successfully produced. In the coming year, the inks will be developed and tested in multiple 3D printing cycles.