Syftet med rapporten är att redovisa en studie där val av utskrivningsmetod samt passande material inom additiv tillverkning ska motiveras, för att tillverka kalibreringsformar till Bucher Emhart glass glasmaskiner. Målet med studien är att tillverka kalibreringsformarna som väger mindre än stålformarna som används idag i glasmaskinerna, detta för att minska arbetsbelastningen på personalen. Stålformarna väger ca 9kg i dagsläget. För att utesluta material och utskriftmetoder användes i första steget kravspecifikationen, och sedan användes pughs matris för att väga de material och utskrivningsmetoder som klarar kraven som ställs. För att validera materialen gjordes även en FEM analys samt en analytisk beräkning på spänningarna. Utifrån Pughs matrisen kunde det konstateras att med den data som givits att en FDM skrivare med ASA som material är mest lämpat för detta projekt. Med denna 3D-skrivare och tillhörande material fick en formhalva en vikt på ca 700g, vilket minskar avsevärt vikten som måste lyftas och således minskar arbetsbelastningen hos arbetarna.

Since the industrial revolution the rise of the global economy depends on using more amounts of fossil fuels. Currently oil is the leading feedstock for the production of various kinds of plastic products, from packaging materials to machine parts. However, even this advanced technology, such as plastic, awarded several Nobel prizes, has its drawbacks. The big disadvantage is their very slow degradation (tens to thousands of years), thereby the accumulation of waste is increasing. Another disadvantage is its production from non-renewable materials (oil). Therefore, the developed economies, including the European Union (EU), are trying to find new alternatives to conventional plastics using biotechnology manufacturers to called bioplastics, which are made from renewable materials. This thesis deals with the use of bioplastics in the market. Using the questionnaires is creating survey of market among producers of bioplastics and consumers, combined with a personal interview with the promoters of bioplastics. Results processed by this methodology showed that the biggest factor, which influence the promotion of bioplastics, is too high price. This is the main reason why the public is so little informed about them. If the price of production decreases, promotion and use of bioplastics will be probably to increase.

This master’s thesis deals with plasticization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), polylactid acid and their blend. It explores effect of chemical structure of plasticizer on mechanical properties of this polymer blend and on its diffusion from the polymer blend. Syntheses of plasticizers based on oligomeric polyadipates, citrates, lactate and esters of 2 ethylhexanoic acid with poly(ethyleneglycol) were carried out. Molecular weight distribution of synthesized plasticizers was determined using gel permeation chromatography. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), polylactid acid and their blend were plasticized with synthesized and commercial plasticizers. From commercial, chosed plasticizers were based on citrates and ester of 2-ethylhexanoic acid with poly(ethyleneglycol). Thermal stability of selected commercial plasticizers in polylactid acid was studied using thermogravimetry. Diffusion of plasticizers from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), polylactid acid and their blend during exposure to 110 °C was also investigated. Mechanical properties of prepared blends were tested by tensile test. Almost all used plasticizers showed positive softening effect in blend. The highest elongation at break was detected for the blend with commercial acetyltributylcitrate, where elongation at break reached 328 % relative to 21 % for neat non-plasticized blend.