TheAdditive Manufacturer Green Trade Association（AMGTA）发布了一份报告，概述了一种新的方法，该方法是从3D打印过程中钝化金属粉状冷凝物废物。
Developed bySintavia，航空航天零件的服务局和粉末专家KBM Advanced Materials, the new process involves adding the powder waste to a resin material to create a non-hazardous mixture. This allows the waste to be safely transported to recycling plants, where it can be reclaimed from the resin matrix and reused in additive manufacturing.
According to Sherri Monroe, the AMGTA’s Executive Director, the latest report is a “must-read” for companies that operate with laser powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies.
She adds, “Not only does this new process reduce transportation costs, but it is also reversible, meaning that metal recycling companies can have unsoiled access to the underlying powder once it is received—thus allowing for the potential to recycle waste material that previously had to be put in a hazardous waste landfill.”
Promoting green 3D printing with AMGTA
Established in 2019 by founding members Sintavia,Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, andQC Laboratories，AMGTA的主要目的是促进添加剂制造的环境利益。
In November 2020, a further12 firms joined the association，包括主要行业参与者，例如GE Additive,实现,Siemens Digital Industries, andEOS. More recently,Stratasys also became a member of the AMGTA作为对可持续性和社会变革的承诺的一部分。
Since its inception, the AMGTA has published a commissioned university research关于金属3D打印的环境影响的纸张. The literature-heavy review consolidates existing academic studies on the environmental impacts of the technology, comparing it with traditional manufacturing and diving deeper into specific materials and processes.
The association has also previously commissioned a life-cycle assessment (LCA) comparing a 3D printed aerospace component to one that is traditionally manufactured. Conducted by the罗切斯特技术学院（RIT），LCA最多包含18种不同的环境指标quantify the positive impacts of 3D printinga low-pressure turbine bracket for a jet engine.
浪费运输的新方法
Powder condensate is a term referring to the soot and powder spatter that’s sieved out of a reclaimed batch of metal 3D printing material. Sintavia currently mixes its powder condensate with sand and silicon oil before transportation. This eliminates any risks of ignitability, but the powder must still be transported as hazardous and the reclamation process is costly.
The latest AMGTA report explores a whole new passivation method, whereby condensate is mixed with a special KBM-supplied resin to make it non-hazardous, enabling transportation without regulatory restrictions. Once KBM receives the mixture, the firm separates the resin from the powder and reuses the metal to produce new powders or products.
Sintavia和KBM已经用两种不同的镍合金Inconel和Haynes测试了钝化过程，并报告了有希望的初始结果。该小组在测试过程中没有报告任何危险情况，在整个过程中，测试环境中的空气质量保持在可接受的范围内。
尽管需要使用不同类型的冷凝物废物进行进一步的测试，但Sintavia和KBM能够证明该过程确实可以安全地用于安全地运输金属冷凝水废物而无需物流限制。
“I hope that other companies adopt this new process, as it will reduce their transportation costs since the underlying material is no longer hazardous,” said Brian Neff, the AMGTA’s Board Chair and CEO of Sintavia. “This report is an excellent example of the AMGTA taking a leadership role in developing sustainable use practices for additive manufacturing.”
完整的报告标题为“使用KBM的树脂过程评估Sintavia粉状冷凝物的钝化”.
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Featured image shows metal aerospace components 3D printed by Sintavia. Photo via Sintavia.
