Data from: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Kraft-based and Hemp-based Polylactide (PLA) 3D Printed Part with Fused Filament Fabrication

This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of hemp straw and kraft lignin as fillers for polylactic acid (PLA) 3D-printed tensile specimens to evaluate their relative environmental impacts. Both materials, as low-cost, renewable bio-based fillers, offer the potential to enhance the elongation properties of PLA, which is otherwise brittle, while reducing the overall environmental footprint of 3D-printed components. The analysis reveals that hemp straw performs slightly better than kraft lignin across most impact categories, making it a more favorable option for eco-conscious prosumers seeking sustainable filament alternatives. This research is motivated by the increasing demand for bio-based materials and the growth of the U.S. industrial hemp industry, alongside the broader trend of using sustainable filaments in additive manufacturing. The environmental impacts of hemp straw PLA and kraft lignin PLA were assessed using several life cycle impact assessment methods, including ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H), Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), and IPCC GWP100. The results show that kraft lignin PLA exhibited slightly higher environmental impacts, particularly in the Marine Eutrophication, Land Use, and Water Consumption categories. Pre-processing and filament production were the major process contributors to the overall environmental footprint. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that transportation distances of materials had minimal influence on the results. Overall, hemp straw PLA demonstrated marginally lower environmental impacts, suggesting it may be the more eco-friendly choice for 3D-printed tensile specimens. This study highlights the importance of further research to evaluate the impacts at larger production scales and in different application scenarios. Future work will explore the environmental performance of treated biomass for wider applications, including hemp fiber and hurd, as alternative fillers for 3D-printed components.

本研究对大麻秸秆和kraft木质素作为聚乳酸（PLA）3D打印拉伸试样的填充材料进行了比较生命周期评估（LCA），以评估其相对环境影响。这两种材料作为低成本、可再生的生物基填充材料，均具有提高PLA（否则易碎）的拉伸性能的潜力，同时降低3D打印组件的整体环境影响。分析结果表明，在大多数影响类别中，大麻秸秆的性能略优于kraft木质素，使其成为寻求可持续丝材替代品的环保型消费者更佳的选择。该研究受到对生物基材料需求的不断增长、美国工业大麻产业的蓬勃发展以及更广泛地使用可持续丝材于增材制造趋势的驱动。大麻秸秆PLA和kraft木质素PLA的环境影响评估采用了多种生命周期影响评估方法，包括ReCiPe 2016端点（H）、累积能源需求（CED）和IPCC GWP100。结果显示，kraft木质素PLA在海洋富营养化、土地利用和水资源消耗类别中表现出略高的环境影响。预处理和丝材生产是整体环境影响的主要过程贡献者。敏感性分析证实，材料的运输距离对结果的影响最小。总体而言，大麻秸秆PLA的环境影响略有降低，表明它可能是3D打印拉伸试样中更环保的选择。本研究强调了进一步研究的重要性，以评估更大生产规模和不同应用场景的影响。未来的工作将探索处理过的生物质在更广泛应用中的环境性能，包括大麻纤维和 hurd，作为3D打印组件的替代填充材料。