A Critical Review on Hazardous Chemical Emissions and Particle from Fused Decomposition Modelling (FDM) Machine

Due to patent expiry of 3D Printing technology, the cost of 3D printer becomes affordable to the domestic, primary and secondary schools. The Fused Decomposition Modelling (FDM) is one of the most popular 3D printing technologies and different polymeric materials are available in the market. The Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid/Polylactide (PLA) are the most commonly used materials due to lower cost. The FDM consists of printing head with a heater and nozzle. The plastic filament was melt due to high temperature. During the melting process, chemicals are evaporated from the filaments. The exact amount and compositions of hazardous chemical emission is not yet defined. Although the industrial standard, ANSI/CAN/UL 2904, was published on January 31, 2019, it only covers the technical requirements on a single 3D printer. In the paper, we will study the potential compositions of hazardous chemical emission from 3D printer and suggest a list of parameters to be measured in a school laboratories in order to protect students.