Ongoing research @ NIOSH

• Laboratory investigations of emissions• Characterization • Rates• Factors

• Commercially available printers• Cost ~ $500 to 2500 dollars• “desktop” scale devices

Laboratory investigations

• Material extrusion printers• Fused deposition modeling (FDM™)

Filament

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)Poly lactic acid (PLA)Polycarbonate (PC)

Filament

Heatednozzle

Base plate

Laboratory investigations

• Performed in chamber• Controlled environment (temperature, RH)• Clean air (filtered)

Inlet

Filter

3D printer

ELPI

SMPS

Filter

Pressure

NanoScan

Data Acquisition

O2 & CO2

Dust Trak

PID/Canister

P-Trak

GRIMMOzone

Emissions characterization

Particle measurement• Real-time

• Number concentration from 0.02 to 1 µm • PM10 mass concentration• Surface area concentration• Size distribution from 0.01 to 0.66 µm • Size distribution from 0.3 to >20 µm

• Time integrated• Track -etched filter

• Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray detector (SEM-EDX)

Vapor and gas measurement• Real-time

• Ozone sensor• TVOC concentration

• Time integrated• 6 L Silonite®-coated canisters: individual VOCs

• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

Particle emissions profile• Real-time number concentration

0.E+00

3.E+04

5.E+04

8.E+04

1.E+05

1.E+05

0 25 50 75 100 125

Num

ber c

once

ntra

tion

[#/c

m3 ]

Elapsed time [m]

Blue comb 1

Blue comb 2

1 = Start print 2 = End print

1

2

Particle emissions chemistryAB

S -b

lue

PLA

–oc

ean

blue

Vapor emissions profile• Real-time TVOC concentration

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0 25 50 75 100 125

TVO

C co

ncen

trat

ion

[ppb

]

Elapsed time [m]

Blue comb 1

Blue comb 2

1 = Start print2 = End print

1

2

Vapor emissions chemistry

Stefaniak et al. J Occup Environ Hyg. (2017)

Emission rates• Real-time particle number (#/min)

Stefaniak et al. J Occup Environ Hyg. (2017)

Emission rates• Real-time TVOC (µg/hr)

Stefaniak et al. J Occup Environ Hyg. (2017)

Factors influencing emissions• Filament type – particle size

Yi et al. J Toxicol Environ Health. Part A (2016)

red ABS > red PLA

Factors influencing emissions• Filament color – particle number

Yi et al. J Toxicol Environ Health. Part A (2016)

red > natural > blue ≈ black

Factors influencing emissions• Print failure – particle number

Yi et al. J Toxicol Environ Health. Part A (2016)

Effects of Malfunction (Ocean blue PLA)

Time (hr:mm:sec)

08:00:00 10:00:00 12:00:00 14:00:00 16:00:00

Con

cent

ratio

n (p

artic

les/

cm3 )

0

5e+4

1e+5

2e+5

2e+5

3e+5

3e+5

MalfunctionNormal operation

Ongoing research @ NIOSHLaboratory investigationsSlide Number 3Laboratory investigationsEmissions characterizationParticle measurementVapor and gas measurementParticle emissions profileParticle emissions chemistryVapor emissions profileVapor emissions chemistryEmission ratesEmission ratesFactors influencing emissionsFactors influencing emissionsFactors influencing emissions