Additive Manufacturing of Bio-Based Materials For Sustainable Product and Interior Design: A Comparative Study

As the issue of resource scarcity becomes increasingly urgent, bio-based materials offer an alternative to petroleum-based interior and product design. This paper examines the potential and limitations of 3D printed bio-based materials by comparing thermoplastic starch (TPS) and lignin composite (LC) with polylactic acid (PLA). The particular focus is on lampshades as a suitable test case. The study compares three key areas: inherent material properties, digital fabrication parameters and resulting material and object qualities, and a non-representative carbon footprint analysis. The comparison indicates that TPS and LC, when subjected to industrial processing, might exhibit comparable low carbon footprints to PLA, yet exceed in biodegradability. TPS and LC display distinctive material properties influencing design, aesthetics, and usability. The research highlights biomaterials' feasibility, environmental benefits, and constraints. TPS and LC reveal different properties compared to conventional plastics, prompting the consideration of disparate designs and use cases, given the inherent properties of biomaterials.