In the case of French fries in fast food stores, the oil used for frying is simply thrown in the sink, which can be one of the causes of sewage clogging. The University of Toronto research team developed a technology to process the used oil and transform it into a resin that can be used in 3D printers.
The research, published in the academic journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, started when the research team at the University of Toronto, Professor Andre Simpson, purchased a 3D printer three years ago. I learned that the molecules of resin materials for commercial 3D printers resemble those of edible oil fat, and I thought that oil could be used to make resins for 3D printers. Prof. Simpson looked for a company to supply the used oil, and the only responded was McDonald’s.
McDonald’s is the world’s second largest restaurant chain. Since disposal of used oil costs enormous costs, it is a good interest to be actively considering how to use it. The oil used in this experiment was actually used in French fries at McDonald’s near the university.
According to the paper, the method of converting used oil into resin is possible only with a simple one-step chemical treatment. At first, the oil is passed through the filter for cleaning, and then the photopolymerization initiator is mixed. When it touches the light, it hardens and becomes resin, and it can be used in a stereoscopic 3D printer.
When it comes to 3D printers, the feeling of melting solid filaments with heat is strong, but the stereoscopic resin is a liquid at room temperature, hardened with light little by little to create a 3D model. Of course, you may be curious about the efficiency of this recycling technology. The resin per liter of oil used in this technique is 420 milliliters. In other words, resin materials can be made for less than half of the original price. It is said that the quality of Suzy was able to express up to 0.1mm detail in the experiment of 3D printing the butterfly model in the photo.
The finished 3D model is thermally stable, so it does not melt or weaken at room temperature. In a biodegradability test that buryed the resin in the soil for about two weeks, 20% of the total was degraded by other microorganisms. Anyway, resin for high-resolution stereoscopic 3D printers costs more than 500 dollars per liter, while recycled resins are available for about 300 dollars per ton. Related information can be found here .