3D PRINTING SAFETY - Homepage - CMU（3 d打印技术安全-首页-卡耐基-梅隆）.pdf

3D PRINTING SAFETY Background 3D printing, an additive manufacturing technology, has made rapid prototyping and small-scale manufacturing easier and more accessible; however, this revolutionary process is not without hazard. In some 3D printing processes, thermoplastics are heated, nozzle- extruded and then deposited onto a surface to build the object. As a by-product of the process, nanoparticles (ultrafine particles less than 1/10,000 of a millimeter) are emitted. For a 3D printer that uses a low-temperature polylactic acid (PLA) feedstock, 20 billion particles per minute can be released, while a higher temperature acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) feedstock can release 200 billion. Nanoparticles are of concern because they are very small, have large surface areas and can interact with the body’s systems, including the skin, lungs, nerves and the brain. Exposures to nanoparticles at high concentrations have been associated with adverse health effects, including total and cardio-respiratory mortality, strokes and asthma symptoms. While PLA feedstock is designed to be biocompatible, the thermal decomposition products of ABS feedstock have been shown to have toxic effects on lab rodents. Since most 3D printers do not have exhaust ventilation or filtration accessories, placement of the printer and selection of printing materials must both be carefully considered. Learn more about Nanoparticle Safety here: /ehs/fact-sheets/nanoparticle-safety.pdf Modeling and Printing Materials Each 3D printer has been designed to use certain types of materials. These materials have inherent hazards and may become more hazardous when they are subjected to the 3D printing process or are inadverten