3D Printing
News Contact us Seen on social
Home / Filament / PLA Composite With Coffee Ground Waste Displays Improved Characteristics

PLA Composite With Coffee Ground Waste Displays Improved Characteristics

October 1, 2019

Researchers at Washington State University have developed a composite mixture of PLA and coffee ground waste that is both tough and environmentally friendly. The project aims to illuminate new applications for 3D printing as well as displaying better uses of waste materials. The addition of low-cost additives also decreases the manufacturing costs while allowing for better recycling.

Since standard PLA can be quite a brittle material, inserting additives to it has often yielded interesting, more useful composites. Researchers have mixed it with all sorts of materials including phosphor, natural fibres, and now coffee ground waste. This particular mix is not that unorthodox, considering that people around the world drink more than two billion cups of coffee every day. Due to this, the waste and residue from coffee grounds are abundantly available.

Related Story
Luminescent PLA Composite Filaments Display Improved Characteristics

“Spent coffee grounds provide an excellent addition to the field of renewable resource and energy applications,” said Yu‑Chung Chang, a graduate student who led the work. “We have a virtually limitless supply of coffee grounds. Our goal is to extend the life cycle for these waste products. We looked at what is overproduced and tried to make something useful out of it.”

Mixing PLA & Coffee Ground Waste

PLA Composite With Coffee Ground Waste Displays Improved Characteristics
Items made from the composite

The PLA composite was not derived from coffee grounds themselves. The researchers used a dry and odorless material that is left over after removing the coffee oil and bio-diesel. After mixing 20% of these leftovers into standard PLA, they found that this material exhibited over 400% increase in toughness over standard PLA.

The material itself has a very earthy color due to the additives and can be printed with a normal filament desktop 3D printer. Another advantage of this new composite was that it can potentially be cheaper than pure PLA. The insertion of the waste decreases the overall material cost and expands the volume of the overall material.

Currently, the researchers are continuing down this line of research and testing for sustainability. Further research will aim to study how the material degrades in the environment. This will hopefully refine the process even further and create new material mixtures with even better characteristics.

The Orange Juicer That 3D Prints Cups From Peels
Related Story
The Circular Juice Bar That 3D Prints Cups From Peels

Featured image courtesy of Washington State University. The full study is available here.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
Latest posts

Anisoprint Sets Up in China

Continuous fiber 3D printing company Anisoprint has opened a new office in Shanghai, China, located in the Additive Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC). The... read more »

News
Brake pedal Anisoprint

Researchers Use Silicone to 3D Print Accurate Brain Models

A team of researchers from the University of Florida has developed a new 3D printing technique using silicone that can produce accurate models... read more »

Medical
AMULIT

Mantis 3D Printer Can Print 45kg of Metal an Hour

3D printing startup Rosotics has unveiled its game-changing Mantis 3D printer in Mesa, Arizona. The massive, unfolding printer can produce 45 kg of... read more »

3D Printers
Mantis 3D printer

3D Printed Switchable Explosives Offer Safer Solutions for Mining and Military Applications

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed "switchable" high explosives that require an inert fluid, like water, to be activated, minimizing... read more »

Military
Experimental setup and detonation time lapse

Engineer Wins Prize for 3D-Admix Concrete Printing Additive

Fort Bragg resident and civil engineer, Michael Butler, has won the Most Innovative Product Award at the 2023 World of Concrete International Exhibition.... read more »

Construction
concrete and 3D-Admix

Patent Granted for 3D Printing Embossing Technology

Northann Corp has obtained a European patent for its innovative "DSE Embossing Technology." This new method combines positive and negative embossing techniques in... read more »

News
DSE embossed example

USAF Global Strike Command Embraces 3D Printing for Future Weapon Sustainment

The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is turning to 3D printing to address its weapon sustainment needs. As the field of additive... read more »

Military
USAF mechanical engineer

Particle Accelerator Sheds New Light on Solidification of Metals During 3D Printing

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and other institutions have made a... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Shooting X-rays

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
  • Twitter Twitter 3D Printing
  • Geeetech Mizar S Geeetech Mizar S
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $279
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech ALKAID Geeetech ALKAID
    82 x 130 x 190 mm
    $99
    Buy Now
  • Fusion3 F410 Fusion3 F410
    355 x 355 x 315 mm
    $4,599
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech THUNDER Geeetech THUNDER
    250 x 250 x 260 mm
    $489
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech Mizar M Geeetech Mizar M
    255 x 255 x 260 mm
    $399
    Buy Now
  • Geeetech A30T Geeetech A30T
    320 x 320 x 420 mm
    $449
    Buy Now
  • Modix BIG-60 Modix BIG-60
    600 x 600 x 660 mm
    $4,900
    Buy Now
  • Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner
    Hands-On Review: The Mole 3D Scanner Learn More
  • Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1
    Hands-On Review: Creality Ender 5 S1 Learn More

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Modix BIG Meter Modix BIG Meter
    1010 x 1010 x 1010 mm
    from $13,500
    Request a Quote
  • Modix BIG-120Z Modix BIG-120Z
    600 x 600 x 1200 mm
    from $7,500
    Request a Quote
  • Industry MAGNUM Industry MAGNUM
    1500 x 1200 x 1200 mm
    €159.000
    Request a Quote
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Companies

  • Modix
  • Industry
  • Geeetech

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2023 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Details
Close