Binder jet 3D printing with recycled glass fines for circular design applications
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2026
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As linear production practices continue to devastate the environment, the need for industrial designers to prioritise circularity in products and services has become increasingly urgent. This research demonstrates how designers can integrate hands-on material and production knowledge into the development of circular outcomes. Specifically, it explores how 3D printing can be harnessed to transform the waste stream of glass fines. Glass is inherently suited to circular systems, as it can be endlessly remelted and reformed without loss of material quality. However, current recycling systems generate large quantities of glass fines: small, mixed-colour particles that cannot be used in traditional glass manufacturing. As a result, these fines are currently downcycled into low-value applications such as road base filler or pipe embedment material, terminal uses that fail to capitalise on the material’s intrinsic properties.
This research presents a novel material formulation, production process, and application that transform glass fines through binder jetting, an additive manufacturing process in which a liquid binder is selectively deposited onto a powder bed. Binder jetting enables cost-effective customisation and the fabrication of complex geometries without support structures. A four-step production process is developed in which glass fines are combined with a binder, printed, dried, and then fired in a kiln. During firing, the binder burns out while the glass particles fuse, resulting in a solid glass object that retains full recyclability. By tailoring the firing schedule, parts can be produced that are both waterproof and water-absorbent, with a porosity of approximately 14.5%. This approach maintains the inherent circularity of glass while introducing a new method for fabricating complex glass forms that are not achievable through conventional glass manufacturing.
To demonstrate the application potential, the research presents an evaporative cooling screen inspired by traditional porous ceramic cooling systems. The porosity created during binder jetting allows water to permeate the surface, forming a thin film that evaporates and cools the surrounding air. A 1:1 scale demonstrator composed of sixteen 3D-printed tiles illustrates how the material and process can be leveraged to create products with industrial relevance.
This research contributes to discourse at the intersection of design, circularity, additive manufacturing, and materials. It shows how these domains can be holistically integrated, with each informing and strengthening the others. By embedding circular strategies within the material, production, and application, the research expands the scope of industrial design and underscores the need for designers capable of operating across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
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