Exploring the Printability and Marine Degradation of Biodegradable, Starch-Based Polymers in Additive Manufacturing

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2025

Abstract

Polymer waste is an increasingly growing problem nowadays with millions of tons being deposited in nature each year, effecting flora and fauna in different environments. In order to address this topic, one aspect in current research is the replacement of traditional, petrochemical polymers with bio-based and biodegradable alternatives. Within this work the possibility of 3D printing functional parts with a biodegradable, starch-based polymer is presented with a focus on the printing behavior as well as the biodegradability, in particular in marine environments where polymer waste is accumulated. For this purpose, two promising biodegradable polymer alternatives, namely Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and Solanyl, a starch-based biopolymer, were investigated. A design of experiment FFF study was carried out using a pellet-printing technique with varying the printing parameters in order to determine the most suitable process for each material. Biodegradation in saltwater was assessed by measuring the oxygen consumption using the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) method. Results show that Solanyl was easier to handle in the printing process and delivered a higher part quality, while also exhibiting a higher degradation rate in the saltwater immersion tests.

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