Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion
Abstract The thermal degradation of polymers in powder bed fusion (PBF) is one of the major issues preventing wider adoption of this technology at the production scale. Although standard PBF allows for elastic production of complex parts in a single-step manufacturing process, it is materially ineff...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12573-8 |
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| author | Aleksander Kubeczek Michał Olejarczyk Piotr Gruber Arkadiusz J. Antończak |
| author_facet | Aleksander Kubeczek Michał Olejarczyk Piotr Gruber Arkadiusz J. Antończak |
| author_sort | Aleksander Kubeczek |
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| description | Abstract The thermal degradation of polymers in powder bed fusion (PBF) is one of the major issues preventing wider adoption of this technology at the production scale. Although standard PBF allows for elastic production of complex parts in a single-step manufacturing process, it is materially inefficient. This is because only approximately 10% of the material is used to develop parts, while the majority of semicrystalline polyamide 12 (PA12) remain unused. The recovered powder cannot be directly reused in subsequent processes because it remains at high temperatures, above the glass transition and below the melting point for a long time during printing. In this work, we present a novel way to process PA12 at room temperature without exposure to a thermal agent. Dual beam laser sintering (DBLS) uses a double laser system that effectively compensates for the temperature in the melting zone and prevents material shrinkage. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the DBLS method, the material was kept in a closed loop. Specimens from each iteration of the process (n = 4) were analyzed. No significant changes were observed in the chemical properties (molecular weight and melt viscosity, assessed via gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and melt flow index (MFI) analysis), rheological properties (flowability and size distribution) nor in the particle shape of the powder samples. Mechanical properties of the built specimens, when compared with the initial values, proved to be satisfactory. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-7da4fce3a39f46a7b8a0a08fcb408c5d2025-08-20T03:45:49ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-12573-8Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusionAleksander Kubeczek0Michał Olejarczyk1Piotr Gruber2Arkadiusz J. Antończak3Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Department of Field Theory, Electronic Circuits and Optoelectronics, Wrocław University of Science and TechnologyFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Wrocław University of Science and TechnologyFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Wrocław University of Science and TechnologyFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Department of Field Theory, Electronic Circuits and Optoelectronics, Wrocław University of Science and TechnologyAbstract The thermal degradation of polymers in powder bed fusion (PBF) is one of the major issues preventing wider adoption of this technology at the production scale. Although standard PBF allows for elastic production of complex parts in a single-step manufacturing process, it is materially inefficient. This is because only approximately 10% of the material is used to develop parts, while the majority of semicrystalline polyamide 12 (PA12) remain unused. The recovered powder cannot be directly reused in subsequent processes because it remains at high temperatures, above the glass transition and below the melting point for a long time during printing. In this work, we present a novel way to process PA12 at room temperature without exposure to a thermal agent. Dual beam laser sintering (DBLS) uses a double laser system that effectively compensates for the temperature in the melting zone and prevents material shrinkage. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the DBLS method, the material was kept in a closed loop. Specimens from each iteration of the process (n = 4) were analyzed. No significant changes were observed in the chemical properties (molecular weight and melt viscosity, assessed via gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and melt flow index (MFI) analysis), rheological properties (flowability and size distribution) nor in the particle shape of the powder samples. Mechanical properties of the built specimens, when compared with the initial values, proved to be satisfactory.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12573-8Additive manufacturingPowder bed fusion of polymersDual beam laser sinteringPolyamide 12Powder reusePolymer degradation |
| spellingShingle | Aleksander Kubeczek Michał Olejarczyk Piotr Gruber Arkadiusz J. Antończak Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion Scientific Reports Additive manufacturing Powder bed fusion of polymers Dual beam laser sintering Polyamide 12 Powder reuse Polymer degradation |
| title | Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| title_full | Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| title_fullStr | Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| title_short | Continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| title_sort | continuous reuse of polyamide 12 in powder bed fusion |
| topic | Additive manufacturing Powder bed fusion of polymers Dual beam laser sintering Polyamide 12 Powder reuse Polymer degradation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12573-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aleksanderkubeczek continuousreuseofpolyamide12inpowderbedfusion AT michałolejarczyk continuousreuseofpolyamide12inpowderbedfusion AT piotrgruber continuousreuseofpolyamide12inpowderbedfusion AT arkadiuszjantonczak continuousreuseofpolyamide12inpowderbedfusion |