It’s been a few years already that we continuously monitor sustainability activities in the AM industry. Last year, in the sustainability edition of 3D ADEPT Mag, we shed light on the fact that sustainability goes hand in hand with ESG – an acronym which stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. This framework assesses an organization’s business practices and performance on various sustainability and ethical issues. While this concerns all AM solutions providers, material producers are among the first companies leading the way – for obvious reasons. In the short list of material producers that have taken the leap in this journey, there is Arkema.
Arkema’s first steps in AM
Arkema SA is a publicly listed, multi-national manufacturer of specialty materials, headquartered in Colombes, France. The company debuted in the AM market about 6 years ago, in 2018. The company’s first steps included expanding its global production capacity for specialty powders at its Mont site in France. It also launched “3D Printing Solutions by Arkema” to equip customers, partners and OEMs with industrial-grade AM materials, including its N3xtDimension resins. Those early steps also included several partnerships with the likes of LSS Laser-Sinter-Service GmbH, Prodways, EOS, and HP. Each of these OEMs leaned on the company’s expertise in plastic materials development for their polymer 3D printing machines.
As part of its sustainability and CSR strategy, and just like most multi-national companies willing to play their part in the fight against climate change, Arkema has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental impact by 2030.
“We’re aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. We’re working hard to cut CO2 emissions across the entire value chain, from production to delivery (Scopes 1, 2, and 3). These principles guide us in driving decarbonization and circularity in our material design, all while aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, Brad Rosen, Global Business Director for 3D Printing, at Arkema told 3D ADEPT Media.
An environmental focus
Its 3D printing division had been quiet about its sustainability activities in the AM industry until 2023. That year, the company announced a landmark biomethane deal with ENGIE to further reduce the carbon footprint of its 3D printing materials.
That being said, given the material expertise of the company, it makes sense to see Arkema 3D printing business explore “sustainable solutions that merge sustainability benefits with [material] performance.” “This means developing high-performance materials that use cleaner ingredients, contain determined bio-content, and are more durable,” Rosen points out.
As far as ESG is concerned, the Global Business Director for 3D printing reveals that the company has been focusing on the environmental aspect of this acronym:
“We’re reducing our carbon footprint through innovative material design, bio-based materials, and renewable energy sources. This allows us to develop sustainable materials that advance our decarbonization and circularity goals. We choose to invest in 3D printing technology because it allows for on-demand, local production, which cuts down on material waste and minimizes the logistical footprint.
By developing high-efficiency bio-based materials for solvent-free, low-VOC 3D printing technologies, and forming strategic partnerships in additive manufacturing, we’re able to push the industry forward toward more sustainable solutions,” Rosen said.
Are there data that can back up these claims?
AM companies have often been criticized for not demonstrating how sustainable their processes and/or products are. Unconsciously, companies that fail to demonstrate data that can back up their words, turn the sustainability topic into greenwashing. For these reasons, we asked Rosen how Arkema’s 3D printing division justifies its sustainability arguments. We also asked if the company conducts a full cradle-to-grave assessment. He attempts to answer:
“We have a dedicated team of experts to calculate PCF according to LCA methodology. The tool enables us to quantify the emissions linked to the production of our materials and will enable us to monitor the progress achieved through our climate plan.
Arkema has achieved ISCC+ certification at almost all our global UV manufacturing sites. Using the mass balance approach, we replace fossil feedstocks with renewable ones at the origin of the supply chain, segregating by bookkeeping the quantity of renewable material and attributing it to finished products. This helps in combining performance, circular sourcing, and lower Product Carbon Footprint (PCF).
We also have a few acrylate and methacrylate materials for 3D printing that are USDA Certified Biobased through the USDA’s BioPreferred® Program.”
Its portfolio of AM solutions and possible applications
Acknowledged for the development of specialty powders and resins for Additive Manufacturing, Arkema’s first investments that appeared on our radar were made for the development of the Rilsan polyamide 11 and Rilsamid polyamide 12 product lines, before shifting the focus to the Orgasol specialty powders portfolio. Interestingly, the Orgasol portfolio was designed for applications that go beyond 3D printing to encompass coatings, and advanced composite materials.
The company’s recent product launches support its decarbonization and circularity goals as it includes new high-performance photopolymer 3D printing formulations with high bio-content.
Rosen points out: “This year, we introduced two new oligomers in our Sarbio® product line. Sarbio® 7405 toughening oligomer with 50% bio-content offers an excellent balance between hardness and flexibility, and Sarbio® 7407 is a highly flexible oligomer with 84% bio-content that enables high elastomeric performance.
We have also developed our first bio-based UV formulation with 53% bio-content. N3xtDimension® N3D-PR184-BIO is an industrial and consumer modeling material that exhibits stiffness, accuracy, resolution and easy processability. This is the first of our 3D formulations to achieve USDA Certified Biobased labeling through the BioPreferred® Program.”
These materials can be processed by VAT printing (SLA, DLP, LCD) and jetting (MJP, BJ) technologies and can lead to applications in the dental, medical and consumer goods sectors.
“Bio-based materials are becoming more interesting in the consumer goods space due to consumption patterns. We also provide materials and support in industries such as aerospace and electronics, where flame retardancy is becoming critical,” Rosen adds.
In the long run, Arkema will continue to explore new cleaner materials, technologies and solutions. These should advance decarbonization and help it meet its long-term goals. While this cannot be done without exploring strategic partnerships across the value chain, we, at 3D ADEPT, can’t wait to see the AM applications that derive from it. In the end, only applications can testify of the capabilities of these materials – sustainable or not.
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