The head of a 3D printer pulls in a strand of filament and heats it until it melts. Then melted filament comes out a nozzle. The nozzle moves and stacks the melted filament in layers. Each layer builds on top of the last one until the object is done. The heated filament binds together. At the same time, it cools so quickly that it holds its shape. This process is called additive manufacturing. It’s the most common type of consumer 3D printing.
But 3D printing isn’t as simple as hitting print and getting a finished object. Often the process creates plastic waste. Prints can fail in the middle of printing. Files set up incorrectly, machine glitches, and even bumping into the table can make prints look more like plastic spaghetti! And even successful prints might need extra pieces called supports. These are extra pieces that keep everything in place during printing. They have to be removed when the print is done.
Both failed prints and leftover supports make plastic scraps. Do these ever-present scraps contribute to plastic pollution? That depends. Some types of printing materials are better for the environment than others. And the way scraps are disposed of matters too.
What Type?
The two most common types of filament are ABS and PLA.
ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, is petroleum based. It’s made from oil, not a renewable resource. ABS won’t biodegrade, which means that living organisms won’t break it down completely. It will only break into smaller bits. These pieces are called microplastics. ABS is used to make strong plastic items, from Legos to keyboards. And anyone who has stepped on a Lego knows how durable ABS can be.
Denne historien er fra September 2019-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Denne historien er fra September 2019-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.