In an effort to enable more environmentally conscious 3DP,
we made the decision to experiment with recycled glass
powders. Recycled glass powder can only be purchased in
limited size ranges; typical distributors provide recycled glass
in a macro size, making it difficult to source pre-sieved stock.
Owing to this limitation, we chose a pre-crushed recycled
glass powder in the 40-200mm range, as this was the closest
to optimal powder we could purchase without crushing and
sieving the recycled glass ourselves. Our development of glass
3DP sparked interest from industry, with recycled glass
printing increasing curiosity. As a direct result of our research,
industry professionals have exploited recycled glass as a
printing medium with Shapeways (www.shapeways.com)
recently providing commercial 3DP glass services, and
EnVitrume (www.envitrum.com) who uses 3DP recycled
glass as a method to produce their prototypes for advanced
systems that include green roofs, living walls, and cool roofs.