Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) of Biodegradable Polymers, Current Developments and Future Challenges: A review

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), also famously abbreviated as 3D printing, has made enormous advancement in facilitating arbitrary shaped structure where the waste of material and the design difference are minimized. The combination of biodegradable polymers with AM methods also brings huge benefits for applications in sustainable manufacturing and biomedical fields. This review aims to consolidate the progressive knowledge regarding 3D printing of biodegradable polymers covering most important materials such as PLA, PCL, and PHAs, processing challenges or shortcomings like thermal degradation, weak layer adhesion and the issue of dimension accuracy etc. Recent development also includes nanocomposites reinforcement, smart stimuli-responsive materials and the hybrid processing such as 4D printing. The applications range from tissue engineering, drug delivery, sustainable packaging to environmental remediation but no matter what the application is significant challenges concerning a balance of biodegradability, mechanical properties improvement and up-scaling for using in industry are left. Environmental and economic evaluations demonstrate the technology's potential to be part of the circular economy, but standardization protocols and a regulatory framework still need to be developed. This paper offers a complete overview of recent advancements and highlights key research areas that are needed to fully leverage the potential of biodegradable polymers for AM.

Keywords

• Biodegradable polymers
• 3D printing
• additive manufacturing
• sustainability
• tissue engineering
• fused deposition modeling

How to cite

Hasanul Banna Muhammad Zukaul Islam, Habibur Rahman Kamal, Kamrul Hasan (2026). Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) of Biodegradable Polymers, Current Developments and Future Challenges: A review. Sonargaon University Journal, 6(I), 1–12.

@article{islam20261,
  title   = {Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) of Biodegradable Polymers, Current Developments and Future Challenges: A review},
  author  = {Hasanul Banna Muhammad Zukaul Islam and Habibur Rahman Kamal and Kamrul Hasan},
  journal = {Sonargaon University Journal},
  volume  = {6},
  number  = {I},
  pages   = {1--12},
  year    = {2026},
  issn    = {2518-3125},
  url     = {https://su.edu.bd/journal/volume-6-issue-1/additive-manufacturing-3d-printing-of-biodegradable-polymers-current}
}