Significance of 3D printing for a sustainable environment

ABSTRACT

The additive manufacturing, also known as 3D-printing, allows for a complete control over the entire manufacturing process that can be tuned to any application. In recent years, it has been tested for its role in various areas like environmental contaminant monitoring, providing solutions for the energy generation and storage and healthcare. To encourage sustainable detection platforms for the pollutants, the sensing electrodes have been reported to be 3D printed because of enhanced electrochemical properties coming from the high surface area of the printed materials. In general, the conventional methods of electrode preparation are time consuming, expensive, and mostly not adaptable. 3D printing however, negates all these challenges. Similarly, in the energy generation and storage field, the rapid and lightweight materials used during 3D printing make them viable and suitable alternative. Since 3D printing is a bottom-up method for the fabrication, the amount of raw material consumed can be tuned and the by-products or wastage minimized. Apart from these demanding areas, additive manufacturing, in last 2 years which witnessed epidemic outspread, has supported health sector immensely in fight against COVID. 3D printing allowed the rapid manufacturing of COVID-19 detection kits and helped maintain the COVID-19 safeguards in place. Sample collection swabs, respirators and other components of the PPE kits were among many products developed using 3D printing during the pandemic. Keeping these things in mind, this review encapsulates the use of 3 D printing for energy application, detection of water and biological contaminants and as safeguard tool during covid pandemic.