Life Cycle Assessment of Composites Additive Manufacturing Using Recycled Materials

Konstantina-Roxani Chatzipanagiotou, Despoina Antypa, Foteini Petrakli, Anna Karatza, Krzysztof Pikoń, Magdalena Bogacka, Nikolina Poranek, Sebastian Werle, Eleftherios Amanatides, Dimitrios Mataras and Elias P. Koumoulos ()
Additional contact information
Konstantina-Roxani Chatzipanagiotou: IRES—Innovation in Research & Engineering Solutions, Rue Koningin Astridlaan 59B, 1780 Wemmel, Belgium
Despoina Antypa: IRES—Innovation in Research & Engineering Solutions, Rue Koningin Astridlaan 59B, 1780 Wemmel, Belgium
Foteini Petrakli: IRES—Innovation in Research & Engineering Solutions, Rue Koningin Astridlaan 59B, 1780 Wemmel, Belgium
Anna Karatza: BioG3D P.C., 1 Lavriou Str., Technological & Cultural Park of Lavrion, GR-19500 Lavrion, Greece
Krzysztof Pikoń: Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Magdalena Bogacka: Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Nikolina Poranek: Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Sebastian Werle: Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Eleftherios Amanatides: Plasma Technology Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, GR-26504 Patra, Greece
Dimitrios Mataras: Plasma Technology Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, GR-26504 Patra, Greece
Elias P. Koumoulos: IRES—Innovation in Research & Engineering Solutions, Rue Koningin Astridlaan 59B, 1780 Wemmel, Belgium

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) of composite materials is promising to create customizable products with enhanced properties, utilizing materials like carbon fibers (CFs). To increase their circularity, composite recycling has been proposed to re-introduce the recovered components in AM. A careful evaluation of recycling is necessary, considering the sustainability and functionality (i.e., mechanical properties) of the recovered components. Thus, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is applied to estimate the environmental impacts of AM via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), using virgin or recycled CFs via solvolysis at a laboratory scale. This study aims to provide a detailed Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of FFF and evaluate the sustainability of using recycled CFs in AM. For both virgin CF manufacturing and CF recycling, electricity consumption was the main contributor to environmental impacts. CF recovery via solvolysis resulted in lower impacts across most impact categories compared to AM with virgin CFs. Different scenarios were examined to account for the mechanical properties of recycled CFs. AM with 75% recycled CFs, compared to 100% virgin CFs undergoing landfilling, resulted in over 22% reduction in climate change potential, even after a 50% loss of recycled CF functionality. Overall, this study offers insights into the LCI of FFF and shows that CF recycling from composites is worth pursuing.

Keywords: additive manufacturing; life cycle assessment; carbon fiber; recycled materials; solvolysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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