Eco-friendly 3D printing material

[lichurbagan]

If I want to 3D print eco-friendly, non-toxic toys for kids, what material should I choose? Is it actually possible or should I forget 3D printing altogether if I wanna keep the toys non-toxic?

[brucehoult]

https://www.aoseed.com/blogs/aoseed-sale/3d-printing-safety-materials-safe-for-childrens-toys-explained-6

[Psi]

Filament sold as food-safe is probably your best bet.
But also consider that the item being 'safe' after printing and being safe to be in the room when it's printing is a bit different.
Some materials might produce food safe items but the fumes while printing might not that safe.

I would probably go with a food-safe PLA or PETG.

Raw PLA/PETG is normally food safe by default but sometimes they add extra things, eg to make stronger, different color dyes, glow in the dark etc..
So it's not guaranteed to be food safe unless it's sold as a food-safe version.

And there is chocking hazards to consider when printing things where parts might snap off

[lichurbagan]

https://www.aoseed.com/blogs/aoseed-sale/3d-printing-safety-materials-safe-for-childrens-toys-explained-6

Thank you very much. I was thinking about PETG but I was skeptic about its total non-toxicity. Currently, I am being interviewed by STEM certified company that works works with education and development of children. In the interview they asked if I could develop some educational toys for children that will develop their fine and gross motor skills. They may call me again when the owner comes back from abroad. Then I'll have to present some rough ideas. I was searching for some ideas and found some like these

https://www.tinkercad.com/blog/weekend-projects-fidget-toy
https://www.justway.com/project/shareproject/Articulated_Elephant_Free_Downloadable_3D_Printing_Model_with_Movable_Joints_ee5a028f.html

Is it possible to print these fidget toys and elephant ONLY using PETG? 

[lichurbagan]

Filament sold as food-safe is probably your best bet.
But also consider that the item being 'safe' after printing and being safe to be in the room when it's printing is a bit different.
Some materials might produce food safe items but the fumes while printing might not that safe.

I would probably go with a food-safe PLA or PETG.

Raw PLA/PETG is normally food safe by default but sometimes they add extra things, eg to make stronger, different color dyes, glow in the dark etc..
So it's not guaranteed to be food safe unless it's sold as a food-safe version.

And there is chocking hazards to consider when printing things where parts might snap off

PETG sounds like the safest option available. And thanks for reminding me about chocking hazards. I must keep this mind too while showing my plans to the prospective employer.

[ejeffrey]

Thank you very much. I was thinking about PETG but I was skeptic about its total non-toxicity.

Generally most plastics are non-toxic at room temperature (i.e., not when burning or melting).  PET for instance is what plastic most disposable plastic water bottles are made from, and while it's not the same thing as PETG, it's very similar.  Plastics are mostly inert in their fully cured solid form.  All of the common 3d printer filmanets are non-toxic at least for the base resin.

A few issues come up: first is that few filament manufacturers will tell you what else is in their filament.  There are dyes and pigments, and also additives (like other plastics) to modify the melting and extruding properties.  Most of it is innocuous, but it's good to get confirmation on the specific filaments you are going to use.

Some filaments have fibers or powders in them.  Glass, carbon fiber, metal powders, stone powder and so on.  I would avoid those in your case.  Not that they are all automatically bad, it's just a whole extra level of concern -- especially if the parts might get cut or ground and produce dust.

Finally, while many of the plastic resins are food safe, 3D printed parts are generally *not* considered safe for food contact.  The concern is the layer lines.  These provide gaps and cracks where food can get stuck, and then bacteria can grow on the food.  It's difficult or impossible to wash off.  For toys that aren't going to contact food I don't think it's a big deal, but if you are targeting very young children or special needs children that might be excessively prone to putting stuff in their mouths, I would consider avoiding 3d printed parts or finding a more definitive answer than "internet randos".

[lichurbagan]

Thank you very much. I was thinking about PETG but I was skeptic about its total non-toxicity.

Generally most plastics are non-toxic at room temperature (i.e., not when burning or melting).  PET for instance is what plastic most disposable plastic water bottles are made from, and while it's not the same thing as PETG, it's very similar.  Plastics are mostly inert in their fully cured solid form.  All of the common 3d printer filmanets are non-toxic at least for the base resin.

A few issues come up: first is that few filament manufacturers will tell you what else is in their filament.  There are dyes and pigments, and also additives (like other plastics) to modify the melting and extruding properties.  Most of it is innocuous, but it's good to get confirmation on the specific filaments you are going to use.

Some filaments have fibers or powders in them.  Glass, carbon fiber, metal powders, stone powder and so on.  I would avoid those in your case.  Not that they are all automatically bad, it's just a whole extra level of concern -- especially if the parts might get cut or ground and produce dust.

Finally, while many of the plastic resins are food safe, 3D printed parts are generally *not* considered safe for food contact.  The concern is the layer lines.  These provide gaps and cracks where food can get stuck, and then bacteria can grow on the food.  It's difficult or impossible to wash off.  For toys that aren't going to contact food I don't think it's a big deal, but if you are targeting very young children or special needs children that might be excessively prone to putting stuff in their mouths, I would consider avoiding 3d printed parts or finding a more definitive answer than "internet randos".

Thanks for your detailed answer. Nowadays, I get to see so many articles in the newspaper about microplastic pollution. I get very concerned when I see toys like teethers being made from plastic. I am thinking about toys that will cause no microplastic pollution hazzard. Do you think I should avoid 3D printed toys altogether? 

[Psi]

Nowadays, I get to see so many articles in the newspaper about microplastic pollution. I get very concerned when I see toys like teethers being made from plastic. I am thinking about toys that will cause no microplastic pollution hazzard. Do you think I should avoid 3D printed toys altogether?

Up to you, you're exposed to plastic all the time, and possibly plastics with nasty additives.
I'm not sure 3D printing, or not 3D printing, is going to change your exposure much.
I would trust 3D filament plastics sold as food safe way more than I trust random plastic you get in cheap china items mass produced to be as cheap as possible.

[lichurbagan]

Nowadays, I get to see so many articles in the newspaper about microplastic pollution. I get very concerned when I see toys like teethers being made from plastic. I am thinking about toys that will cause no microplastic pollution hazzard. Do you think I should avoid 3D printed toys altogether?

Up to you, you're exposed to plastic all the time, and possibly plastics with nasty additives.
I'm not sure 3D printing, or not 3D printing, is going to change your exposure much.
I would trust 3D filament plastics sold as food safe way more than I trust random plastic you get in cheap china items mass produced to be as cheap as possible.

Thank you. This is the sad reality. Plastic exposure is so high that microplastic has spread everywhere from brains to bones, from sperm to breast milk. It scares me. Personally I like to avoid using plastic that comes in direct contact with mouth. Teethers for example.

[amyk]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

[thm_w]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Sure, and hysteria over asbestos or mercury would have been unjustified too, until they had the proof of its effects years later. Which way it plays out, doubt anyone knows.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41352016/

[lichurbagan]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

This is something I am hearing for the first time. Does it mean that these microplastic aka  'hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids' in human body is normal?

[lichurbagan]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Sure, and hysteria over asbestos or mercury would have been unjustified too, until they had the proof of its effects years later. Which way it plays out, doubt anyone knows.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41352016/

Mercury is deadly, isn't it?

[Psi]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Sure, and hysteria over asbestos or mercury would have been unjustified too, until they had the proof of its effects years later. Which way it plays out, doubt anyone knows.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41352016/

Mercury is deadly, isn't it?

Mercury the raw metal isn't really that bad. If you eat it most of it just passes through you. Some will react on its way through and that isn't "good" but it's unlikely to cause any significant problem as a one-off incident. Like if a child accidently bites a mercury glass thermometer in half, which did happen quite often in the past before they stopped using mercury in them. The broken glass being swallowed was more of a concern than the mercury metal itself.

It's the organic mercury compounds and mercury salts that carry the extreme high risks of putting you in the hospital and/or causing death.  They get absorbed into the body VERY easily from ingestion or just handling them. Also the vapors from mercury  are definitely not good to inhale

[lichurbagan]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Sure, and hysteria over asbestos or mercury would have been unjustified too, until they had the proof of its effects years later. Which way it plays out, doubt anyone knows.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41352016/

Mercury is deadly, isn't it?

Mercury the raw metal isn't really that bad. If you eat it most of it just passes through you. Some will react on its way through and that isn't "good" but it's unlikely to cause any significant problem as a one-off incident. Like if a child accidently bites a mercury glass thermometer in half, which did happen quite often in the past before they stopped using mercury in them. The broken glass being swallowed was more of a concern than the mercury metal itself.

It's the organic mercury compounds and mercury salts that carry the extreme high risks of putting you in the hospital and/or causing death.  They get absorbed into the body VERY easily from ingestion or just handling them. Also the vapors from mercury  are definitely not good to inhale

Thank you. Many skin whitening products that are very popular in South Asia allegedly use Mercury. Those are leading among the leading causes of skin cancer. This is why I not only avoid those but also tell others to avoid.   

[Gyro]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Microplastics can be (are) detected, counted and identified by optical microscopy of biological samples - there is no alleged about it. They are not nano scale, even if the effects of their presence may be.

[lichurbagan]

A lot of the alleged microplastics detected in various tissues are actually the hydrocarbon chains from biological lipids. The hysteria is completely unjustified.

Microplastics can be (are) detected, counted and identified by optical microscopy of biological samples - there is no alleged about it. They are not nano scale, even if the effects of their presence may be.

While I was reading the articles, just the the symbolic image of microplastics inside brain creeped me out.

[Randy222]

Food Safe is not the same as non-toxic.

Food safe is a 2-way thing. The plastic(chemical) does not leach into the food, and, the plastic wont help grow nasty stuff while being in contact with the food. Some "toxic" materials can still be "food safe".

Non-toxic for toys and such, items that should be properly washed or maintained.

Certainly being food-safe and non-toxic is desired, but we're talking about plastics, etc.
Each country|state|city has their own meaning of "food safe" and "non toxic".

[lichurbagan]

Food Safe is not the same as non-toxic.

Food safe is a 2-way thing. The plastic(chemical) does not leach into the food, and, the plastic wont help grow nasty stuff while being in contact with the food. Some "toxic" materials can still be "food safe".

Non-toxic for toys and such, items that should be properly washed or maintained.

Certainly being food-safe and non-toxic is desired, but we're talking about plastics, etc.
Each country|state|city has their own meaning of "food safe" and "non toxic".

Thank you. Do you think 3D printed toys should be avoided altogether if we want to make toys both non-toxic and food graded? 

[Psi]

Bambu Lab launches PLA Pure filament — New material boasts kid-safe toy certifications and "asbestos-free" talc

This sounds like what you want.

https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/bambu-lab-launches-pla-pure-filament-new-material-boasts-kid-safe-toy-certifications-and-asbestos-free-talc

[Conrad Hoffman]

AFAIK, FDM(tm) parts typically have a surface that traps bacteria and contamination and is hard to get completely clean. Just FYI.

[lichurbagan]

AFAIK, FDM(tm) parts typically have a surface that traps bacteria and contamination and is hard to get completely clean. Just FYI.

Thank you. This information is new to me.

[Psi]

AFAIK, FDM(tm) parts typically have a surface that traps bacteria and contamination and is hard to get completely clean. Just FYI.

Thank you. This information is new to me.

It's the same with anything that has areas where dirt can collect.  FDM just has lot of ridges due to layering.

I'm not sure how serious of an issue it is, but it's something to be aware of.

[ejeffrey]

"food safe" is mostly a term for equipment to be used in food prep especially in commercial / industrial kitchens.  So it not only has to be non toxic, it has to be able to be cleaned and sanitized after being contaminated by e.g., uncooked food.  Thats why the layer lines are a potential problem. So there is basically no way an FDM part can be food safe.  If the part has open layer lines and they get filled with bacteria there is no practical way to clean them out.

PLA is a also a problem for this because while it is non-toxic and somewhat biodegradeable it can't withstand the tempeatures of a dishwasher sanitize cycle.

Whether any of this matters for a toy i have no idea.  It probably depends on the toy and the age it is for.  But the point is "food safe" is a designation with a particular purpose.  Trying to use it outside that purpose may or may not make sense.

[Psi]

I've not looked into what certification that new bambu labs filament got, but it says "kid-safe toy certifications"