Filaments for 3D Printers from Surgical Masks, Cornstarch and Plastic Bottles Generated by COVID-19

Aliaga K.; Zevallos E.; Arroyo C.; Aliaga D.; Casimiro A.; Tantavilca N. · Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering (2023) · DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-3672-4_9

Resumen

In recent years the increase of our waste is increasing at a very accelerated scale where the main contributor is the Covid-19 because the demand for plastic and masks is constant, creating a negative impact on the environment and ecosystem, because much of the world’s population does not provide adequate treatment to their waste. The objective of the research is to determine the amount of surgical masks, plastic bottles and corn starch needed for the production of filaments for 3D printers, which is in great demand in the additive sector because it allows the production of objects of different shapes, sizes, rigidity and even colors. For this reason, 16 treatments were designed factorially with variation of quantities and temperatures, which was applied in the filament production process. After the analysis, the results showed that treatment 11 and 15 are the best option for the production of ecological filaments because they present a better texture and uniform diameter when processed, being a more efficient option for the reduction of waste produced by Covid-19 and more economical if it is complemented with organic materials that can be converted into polymers. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental