After PLA is 3D printed, it can be recycled and used to 3D print again, providing it has not been combined with another substance like super glue or non-water based paint. There are three methods of recycling PLA: mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and composting. In order to quantify and compare these methods, two different systems are used to compare the three methods of PLA recycling; the restitution product system and the credit product system.
Continue reading “PLA Recycling: Mechanical vs. Chemical vs. Compost”PLA (polylactic acid)
PLA is a biodegradable plastic made from natural resources, such as corn or other vegetables that contain a large amount of starch (long chains of sugar glucose). In corn (the most widely used crop in the creation of PLA), the kernels are processed and the endosperm is removed, ground into corn starch, fermented to create lactic acid, and the lactic acid is polymerized (chains linked to create a polymer) into polylactic acid (also known as polylactide).
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Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot