Sustainability Evaluation of Ambient-Temperature Biocomposite Additive Manufacturing Using Life Cycle Assessment

Additive manufacturing is gaining recognition and popularity due to its potential for rapid and easily customizable production, but the current plastic-based methods are en-ergy-intensive and environmentally harmful. This study showed that 3D printing with ambient-temperature extrusion of upcycled biomaterials such as oyster shell and pista-chio shell bound with xanthan gum reduced energy consumption by up to 89% and over-all environmental impact by up to 94% (as measured by ReCiPe Endpoint H points). This was for the Netherlands and EU, with relatively clean electricity and high recycling rates; improvements for the same printer in the US were even higher. While these novel materi-als may require printer modifications and the products exhibit lower strength and print quality, they are already suitable for low-load applications such as prototypes and archi-tectural models. Compared to traditional plastic and even 'green' PLA bioplastic printing, this method has excellent sustainability potential. Further developments in materials and pre- and post-processing techniques could extend its functionality and make low-impact 3D printing a scalable alternative for a wide range of applications.