Effect of Multiple Extrusion Cycles on Particle and Chemical Emissions and Mechanical and Thermal Properties of High-Density Polyethylene 3D Printing Filaments Made from Virgin and Post-Consumer Waste Plastics

Details

• Journal Article:
  Recycling
• Personal Author:
  Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; Bowers, Lauren N. ; Walsh, Callee M. ; Du Preez, Sonette ; Brusak, Elizabeth D. ; Ham, Jason E. ; LeBouf, Ryan F. ; Virji, M. Abbas ; Du Plessis, Johan L.
• Description:
  Distributed recycling of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) into filament for use in material extrusion 3D printing has been proposed as part of a circular economy. There is a gap in the understanding of the potential for HDPE to release contaminants that are potentially hazardous to human health during reuse. Herein, HDPE from post-consumer packaging waste was sorted into food and non-food (NF) streams and virgin HDPE was taken as a benchmark material. All materials were extruded into filaments and recycled multiple times while monitoring emissions. In general, particle and organic chemical emissions decreased by 93 to 99% and 73 to 99%, respectively, with increased reprocessing cycle without appreciable decline in mechanical (Young's modulus decreased by 5 to 16%), processability (melt flow index stable from 0.2 to 0.7 g/10 min for waste plastics), and thermal properties (crystallinity ranged from a 6% decrease to a 9% increase) of plastics. An exception was a sub-stream of NF plastic that had increased particle emissions (up to 3100%) with reprocessing cycle. Reductions in emissions during filament extrusion appeared to be more influenced by reprocessing cycle than by any specific process step (grinding, etc.). The progressive decline in emissions without appreciable loss of polymer integrity could be exploited to pre-condition HDPE to reduce potential hazardous emissions prior to extruding into filament. This work helps fill the knowledge gap on approaches to recycling plastics in distributed settings such as home-based businesses, which is critical for developing effective recommendations for controls to enable safe work practices such as the use of ventilation to minimize exposures. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Occupational Health
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional
  • Recycling
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Additive manufacturing; Three dimensional printing; 3D printing; Recycling; Ultrafine particles; Polymers; Aldehydes; Emission sources; Plastic products; Plastics;
  • Author Keywords: ultrafine particles; aldehydes; fused filament fabrication; distributed recycling; polymer characterization; HDPE; additive manufacturing
• Source:
  Recycling 2026 Apr; 11(4):66
• ISSN:
  2313-4321
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Philadelphia Region OSHA ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division ; HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  24 pdf pages
• Volume:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071550
• Contact Point Address:
  Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
• Email:
  boq9@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  • Ethene, homopolymer (CAS RN 9002-88-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259325/cdc_259325_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.26 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0abc277f6689950a1e1e17ac7e7e974c822874f9599f29961488caf7d4d0bbcc7b704f17cf2b9a2c0fc76491d3e3e3815bbdc5f7b86794f1d8b523838bd86a3c