Review on particle emissions during fused deposition modeling of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid polymers

Abstract As 3D printing technology is rapidly evolving, it's impact on human health is becoming a prime concern. The major reason behind this is the emission of particles during the heating of thermoplastics used for 3D printing. Thermoplastics find very frequent applications in additive manufacturing processes. Fused Metal Deposition (FDM) is a 3D printing technique which is well known for its ability to produce complex geometries. However, the filaments used in this process, namely Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) generate emissions which are harmful to the human health and long term exposure to them could possibly lead to life-threatening conditions. Several factors lead to the concentration and impact of particle emissions such as process parameters, material used, chemical composition, etc. Comparative research works are also carried out to find the most suitable material for 3D printing as per output and emissions. The present paper presents a review on generation of particle emissions by the usage of ABS and PLA and the notable health risks caused by them. Also, the prevention techniques of such emissions are discussed in the subsections.