Abstract
Additive manufacturing, or “3D printing” is a method of fabricating three dimensional objects in a layer-by-layer fashion using a computer-generated file as a blueprint and a small printing device for construction. Previously limited to the medical and manufacturing sectors, 3D printing technology is now widely used by hobbyists. One of the more prominent and less studied forms of printing is masked stereolithography (mSLA). The process employed by mSLA involves ultraviolet light-catalyzed polymerization of proprietary resin formulations which emit compounds into the headspace that may pose a risk to the operator. To identify and quantify the compounds in the emission, a chamber was constructed and the gas volume of this chamber was pulled through polyurethane foam (PUF) media. Two resins were investigated (oil-based and plant-based) and six analytes were identified: 2-Hydroxyethyl Acrylate, 4-Acryloylmorpholine, Mesitaldehyde, Tolylene-2,4-diisocyante, Dipropylene Glycol Diacrylate and 2,6-Di-Tert-Butyl-P-Cresol.
Across all four phases, the oil-based resin TVOC was found to be 347 µg/g resin printed.
More than a twofold reduction was seen in the plant-based resin, which was found to be 162 µg/g resin printed.