Studio e caratterizzazione dei materiali plastici sostenibili stampati in 3D rispetto a quelli stampati a iniezione = Study and the characterization of 3D printed sustainable plastic materials compared to injection molded ones

The growing global demand for environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient materials, in recent years, has led to increased interest in sustainable alternatives across many industries, including automotive. The focus of this thesis is on replacing conventional thermoplastic materials, used in a number of automotive interior applications, with more sustainable thermoplastic materials. The main goal of the study is to determine feasibility for using selected recycled thermoplastics for interiors by evaluating the mechanical performance of selected as they are processed through additive manufacturing technologies. Research methods involved the conversion of pellet form, thermoplastic materials to printable filament which can be used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) type 3D printers. FDM was used to create test specimens from these sustainable materials. At the same time, the same thermoplastics were processed with traditional injection molded techniques to create a comparative baseline. Mechanical testing was performed on both test specimen sets to determine tensile strength, impact resistance, and flexibility through standardized mechanical testing procedures. The objective of this research project is to evaluate the comparative performance of 3D printed samples with injection-molded samples. The results of this research will inform their selection and processing choices in design for sustainability, as well as how best to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the automotive manufacturing process.