Systematic overview of nanocomposites obtained by VAT photopolymerization techniques: A cost and life cycle assessment approach

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has shown advantages for nanocomposite fabrication. Despite VAT-photopolymerization being one of the first developed 3D printing technologies, high device costs made it a technology that was difficult to access. The massive production of these devices in recent years has opened this technology to everyone. Stereolithography and Digital light processing are the most prominent technologies used in this field. This systematic review studied 217 articles regarding SLA and DLP for additive manufacture of nanocomposites. The main finding of this systematic review shows that further research on circular economy and life cycle assessment of the SLA and DLP technologies is urgently needed. Also, a deeper discussion on the technology and material costs is recommended in order to give a more detailed insight on the final cost of these 3D-printed nanocomposites.

Keywords

• nanocomposite
• 3D-printing
• additive manufacture
• stereolithography
• DLP
• costs