UBQ Materials, which makes thermoplastics, has partnered with R&D company Plastics App to develop a carbon fiber 3D printing filament with a reduced carbon footprint. According to the companies, 3D printing can enable less energy and raw material usage than traditional production methods. However, up till now, the most sustainable 3D filaments have been largely based on a glycol-modified version of polyethylene terephathalate (PETG), which has limited properties and has confined use cases to dimensional models and dummies. UBQ Materials has developed a method to convert unsorted landfill-destined waste into a sustainable thermoplastic that substitutes oil-based resins for manufacturing. Plastics App has in turn developed a way to use the filaments in 3D printing that can help expand sustainable application to functional uses such as jigs, fixtures and spare parts, UBQ says. The material can be incorporated into Perform Q, a polypropylene (PP) filament suitable for standard applications, and Perform QCF, a carbon fiber reinforced PP-based filament suitable for demanding applications.
This story uses material from UBQ, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
