This study presents an innovative methodology for fabricating polymeric beads via 3D printing to enhance cell immobilization strategies in bioprocess engineering. Using fused filament fabrication (FFF), beads composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) were fabricated with precisely tailored geometries, enabling the systematic evaluation of how material type and internal design influence both manufacturing feasibility and structural stability. The methodology demonstrates high reproducibility, dimensional accuracy and flexibility, allowing researchers to fabricate immobilization beads adapted to specific bioprocess conditions. In contrast to conventional immobilization matrices, this FFF-based approach offers a scalable, cost-effective and customizable alternative, capable of producing complex porous architectures that promote microbial adhesion and mass transfer. The method stands out for extending additive manufacturing applications beyond enzyme immobilization toward whole-cell biocatalyst systems, providing a valuable framework for future biotechnological process development. • A reproducible FFF-based workflow for 3D-printed cell immobilization beads. • ABS and PLA beads fabricated with tunable geometry and internal porosity. • Method extends 3D printing applications from enzymes to whole-cell biocatalysts. • Cost-effective and scalable alternative to conventional immobilization matrices.

Auxetic metamaterials have attracted substantial attention as core materials for sandwich structures for advanced lightweight applications due to their unconventional deformation behavior. This investigation studies the nonlinear dynamic response of re-entrant auxetic sandwich panels with various core designs subjected to three-point bending. The examined core designs include pure auxetic and gradient variations of the unit cell wall thickness -vertically and horizontally- across the core. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) polymer is chosen as the overall material, due to its high toughness, impact resistance, good processability and suitability for additive manufacturing processes. Finite element simulations were conducted in Abaqus/CAE to evaluate the influence of auxetic core geometry on load distribution, failure behavior, and energy absorption capacity. The numerical models were validated using previously published experimental data from the literature. The results showed that the graded designs improved the distribution of loads and postponed localized failure, thus improving maximum load bearing capacity and energy absorption resulting in enhanced bending performance. The horizontal internal graded configuration exhibited the best mechanical response, achieving a 23.2% increase in maximum load capacity and a 32.8% increase in energy absorption relative to the uniform auxetic core. Furthermore, the gradient effect introduced a progressive deformation mechanism, which induced smoother force-displacement responses alongside decreased stress concentrations. These findings demonstrate that graded auxetic core architectures provide an effective approach for enhancing the mechanical performance of sandwich structures in lightweight engineering applications.

The recycling of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is crucial for a circular plastics economy, but repeated extrusion induces degradation that limits its reuse. This study establishes a comprehensive structure-property evolution mechanism for ABS 757K over five extrusion cycles and develops a novel image-recognition model for aging degree prediction. Multi-faceted characterization revealed that chain scission, oxidation of the polybutadiene (PB) phase, and the formation of chromophores led to progressive embrittlement, yellowing, and reduced thermal-oxidative stability. A key finding from Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) was the stability and homogeneous distribution of sulfur-based antioxidants, which underpin the material’s superior resistance to degradation by effectively scavenging free radicals, which function as effective free radical scavengers. This mechanism underpins the material’s superior resistance to thermo-oxidative degradation. Consequently, significant molecular weight reduction and property deterioration were delayed until later extrusion cycles. Furthermore, a deep learning model based on the DeepLabV3+ architecture was trained to predict extrusion history directly from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of impact-fractured surfaces. The model achieved an average prediction accuracy exceeding 96.5%. Remarkably, it demonstrated excellent generalizability, maintaining high accuracy on two unseen commercial ABS grades. This indicates that the micro-morphological evolution pathway is a universal fingerprint of thermo-mechanical aging in ABS. This work not only elucidates the multi-scale degradation mechanism of recycled ABS but also provides a rapid, non-destructive tool for intelligent quality assessment in plastic recycling streams, bridging advanced machine learning with practical sustainability challenges.

Plastic pollution is considered a major environmental challenge, and microplastics may pose risks to ecosystems and human health. This study investigated the presence of microplastics in salted dried beef sold in two cities in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Six brands, three sold in Itacoatiara and three sold in Parintins, were analyzed using density separation, organic matter digestion, stereomicroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. All the samples showed contamination by microplastics, totaling 141 particles. In the brands from Itacoatiara, 55 particles were identified, with an average size of 1.85 ± 1.48 mm, while in the brands from Parintins, 86 particles were found, with an average size of 1.30 ± 1.17 mm. Elongated blue fibers were the most frequent in both locations. Chemical analysis identified four types of polymers: polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polystyrene, and polypropylene, which are mainly associated with urban sources. In this first study to demonstrate the contamination of salted dried beef by microplastics, the results reveal weaknesses in sanitary control processes and food safety, indicating potential risks to consumer health. This scenario reinforces the need to include microplastics as a parameter in sanitary surveillance programs and public food safety policies in the Central Amazon.

Polymer composites hold great promise due to their excellent properties, yet their compatibility and strength in real-world applications remain critical challenges. This study focuses on the development and optimization of a polymer composite based on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyolefin elastomer (POE). In order to characterize and optimize ABS/POE polymer composites, Design-Expert software with the D-optimal mixture design (DMD) method was used. The selected independent factors were the weight percentages of ABS and POE. Five selected dependent factors were tensile strength (TS), percentage elongation at break (%EB), elastic modulus, hardness and melt flow index (MFI). The experimental data obtained from the different composite formulations were statistically analyzed. ANOVA results confirmed the significance of the models (p < 0.0001) for all responses, with R² values above 0.96. Formulation with 90% ABS and 10% POE was selected as optimized polymer composite. This formulation exhibited a TS of 26.7MPa, EB of 21.35%, elastic modulus of 1296MPa, hardness of 72.12 Shore D and MFI of 1.39g/min. The experimental results matched the predicted values closely, with errors below 7.2%. The findings indicate that the Design-Expert software effectively identifies the optimal balance between strength and flexibility in the polymer composite. Such enhancements can contribute to the development of high-performance composites with superior strength, flexibility, and durability, rendering them highly suitable for a broad spectrum of engineering, automotive, and other commercial applications.

The increasing interest in, and affordability of, 3-D printing has made fast prototyping and manufacturing of components and accessories increasingly popular in MRI research. In this work, visibility in magnetic resonance images and T1 and T2∗ relaxation times of 3-D printed thermoplastic materials were investigated with multi-band sweep imaging with Fourier transformation (MB-SWIFT) and single point imaging (SPI). Ten commonly available 3-D printable plastics were investigated at 9.4T. T1 relaxation times were estimated with inversion recovery (IR-LL) and saturation recovery Look-Locker (SR-LL) as well as variable flip angle (VFA) MB-SWIFT techniques. T2∗ relaxation times were estimated from SPI data. It was observed that acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and some poly(lactic acid) (PLA) -based filaments as well as a proprietary thermoplastic formulation generated detectable signal making them "MRI-visible". Glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G) and nylon -based filaments as well as some PLA formulations were observed to be "MRI-invisible" with minimal to non-existent signal. T1 parameters were estimated to be between 463 and 773ms (VFA), 520-1004ms (IR-LL) and 222-296ms (SR-LL). Average T2∗ relaxation times with SPI were between 69 and 273μs. The results provide a quantitative basis for selecting fused deposition modeling (FDM) materials for ultrashort echo time MRI applications and highlight the importance of both pulse sequence and material composition when designing MRI-compatible structures.

Mechanical characterization of FFF-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) parts under gravity-induced conditions

The utilization of additive manufacturing in producing tubular honeycomb (THC) structures, leveraging capabilities of fused filament fabrication, enables the introduction of attributes, such as buckling initiators, to augment energy absorption characteristics. Increasing crush efficiency and/or energy absorption efficiency of THC structures bolsters payload and occupant protection in vehicular systems during impact scenarios such as collisions for ground vehicles or harsh landings for aircraft. In this investigation, THC structures composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic were additively manufactured so that buckling initiators (BIs) could be efficiently incorporated in the THC structure and readily positioned at the top, 3/4 height, or half height of the samples. Each configuration was subjected to quasi-static (0.03 mm/s) and constant (0.5 m/s) velocity testing employing an MTS machine, with three specimens manufactured for each test condition. Results demonstrated a notable 12.60% increase in energy absorption efficiency and a 15.75% increase in crush efficiency for specimens featuring BIs at the top of the sample as compared to those without BIs under quasi-static conditions. Furthermore, substantial improvements were also observed under constant velocity testing, indicating the efficacy of BIs at the top of the sample in promoting structural folding and progressive collapse, thereby increasing crush energy absorption and crush efficiency.

The article presents the results of a comparative study of 28 types of commercial flat GSM antennas and a self-developed antenna "Zmeyka" fabricated on a 1mm FR-4 substrate operating in the GSM900 band (Uplink 890MHz, Downlink 960MHz) for integration into the housing of a navigation seal intended for real transportation conditions. Particular attention is paid to the influence of housing materials, layout constraints, and the electromagnetic environment on impedance matching parameters and signal reception quality. The study was conducted in several stages. Laboratory measurements in an anechoic chamber using a Keysight FieldFox N9915A analyzer showed that in the reference housing made of 2mm ABS plastic, the "Zmeyka" antenna achieved an average VSWR of 1.2, whereas several commercial samples exhibited VSWR values exceeding 6. Subsequently, selected antennas were tested in field conditions using a proprietary software tool "GSM Antenna Tester" to record CSQ/RSSI parameters. This approach enabled a comparative analysis of antenna performance not only under controlled laboratory conditions but also in scenarios close to real operating environments. Experimental results demonstrated that the integration of antennas into a housing made of reinforced polyamide PA12+GF ([Formula: see text]-4.5) with 3.5mm wall thickness and dense internal layout causes a downward shift of the resonance frequency by approximately 50MHz, as well as an increase in VSWR up to 3.5 and a reduction of the transmission coefficient in the main lobe by 6-7dB. Against this background, the self-developed "Zmeyka" antenna showed the highest resistance to layout and environmental effects, maintaining acceptable impedance matching and stable signal reception. Field tests using the "GSM Antenna Tester" software recorded a decrease in the signal level of commercial antennas to the "Weak" category (CSQ 7-11, RSSI from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]dBm), while the adaptive design of the "Zmeyka" antenna compensated for environmental effects. The obtained results confirm that the design of navigation seals with integrated GSM communication cannot rely solely on the nominal antenna specifications provided by manufacturers. The electromagnetic environment inside the housing, material properties, and layout features have a significantly stronger impact on antenna performance than is typically assumed. It has been demonstrated that the possibility of adjusting the topology of the radiating elements in the "Zmeyka" antenna makes it possible to reduce insertion losses from 6-7dB to an acceptable level of 1-2dB, thereby ensuring stable data transmission under challenging transportation operating conditions.

The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a deep, anatomically complex midfacial space that serves as a major neurovascular crossroads. Owing to its confined boundaries and multidirectional communications, it is difficult to visualize using conventional teaching materials. This study aimed to develop a physically enlarged negative-space three-dimensional (3D) printed model of the PPF and to evaluate its impact on anatomical comprehension. A three-dimensional (3D) digital model of the pterygopalatine fossa was developed using pre-existing digital bone models obtained from a commercial repository and refined using ZBrush software, ensuring reproducibility of the modeling workflow. A negative-space representation of the fossa was created and scaled to twice its anatomical size. The model was exported in STL format and printed using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament. Internal neurovascular structures were represented using color-coded materials. Fifty-two third-year dental students were divided into a theoretical instruction group (n = 27) and a 3D model group (n = 25). Pre- and post-instruction assessments were performed, and within- and between-group comparisons were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in post-test scores (p < 0.001). However, the mean score increase was significantly greater in the 3D model group (3.96 ± 2.47) compared with the theoretical group (2.22 ± 1.60) (p = 0.004). The effect size for the difference in improvement between groups was large (Cohen's d ≈ 0.84). The enlarged negative-space 3D printed model was associated with improved short-term anatomical understanding of the pterygopalatine fossa compared with conventional theoretical instruction. This reproducible and low-cost model may represent a useful adjunct in clinically oriented teaching of complex deep facial spaces.

Exposure to occupational noise remains a significant health hazard, necessitating effective hearing protection strategies. This study evaluated the impact of internal geometric design on the noise attenuation performance of 3D-printed earmuffs fabricated from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)/clay nanocomposite. Five earmuff variants were produced with identical external dimensions but differing middle-layer geometries: hexagonal (honeycomb), square, circular, rectangular, and triangular. Insertion loss (IL) was measured across frequencies from 125 Hz to 8000 Hz using an Acoustic Test Fixture (ATF) in accordance with ANSI/ASA S12.42-2010 Methods for the Measurement of Insertion Loss of Hearing Protection Devices in Continuous or Impulsive Noise Using Microphone-in-Real-Ear or Acoustic Test Fixture Procedures and ISO 4869-3:2007 Acoustics—Hearing Protectors—Part 3: Measurement of Insertion Loss of Earmuff Type Protectors Using an Acoustic Test Fixture. Results showed that geometric configuration notably influenced sound attenuation. The triangular structure achieved the highest IL at 500 Hz (25.5 dB) and 8000 Hz (31.8 dB), while the hexagonal design provided superior broadband performance, particularly at 1–4 kHz (19.1–24.9 dB). In contrast, all structured designs exhibited reduced effectiveness at 125–250 Hz, likely due to structural resonance and minor seal leakage. These findings demonstrate that strategic geometric patterning of internal earmuff layers can enhance passive noise control without increasing weight or material cost.

Accurate identification of post-consumer plastics is essential to establishing high-performance recycling processes and enabling a circular and sustainable economy and environment through effective recycling and remanufacturing. However, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of recycled materials often exhibit noise, baseline shifts, and overlapping signatures from additives or contaminants, resulting in datasets that are both sparse and severely imbalanced. This data complexity, sparsity, and class imbalance can degrade conventional machine-learning classifiers, resulting in higher rates of misclassifying plastics. To address these challenges, we investigated if data augmentation using generative adversarial networks could enhance polymer classification performance. We implemented a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) framework that integrates adversarial training with a classifier-guided feedback loop to synthesize realistic, class-discriminative FTIR spectra for six commonly recycled polymers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and trained multilayer perceptron classifiers on datasets with varying ratios of synthetic data. The optimal balanced accuracy of 96.2% was achieved when synthetic spectra accounted for 50% of the training set, whereas including more than 90% synthetic data degraded generalization. Synthetic data augmentation using a GAN with the optimal augmentation ratio improved ABS classification accuracy, precision, and recall by 43%, 50%, and 33%, respectively, compared with no augmentation and replicate experimental measurements. These results demonstrate that GAN-based data augmentation can effectively mitigate data sparsity and class imbalance in spectral classification of common plastics, providing a practical foundation for creating robust online polymer classification systems.

Abstract Surface-based seismic field data were acquired through distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) measurements by utilizing vertical loop configurations of a tight-buffered fiber-optic cable at the Aquistore CO2 storage site. A continuous run of the cable was buried in an 80 cm deep trench with vertical fiber-loops attached to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) pipes that were deployed in shallow, 3 m, drillholes to record steep-angle P-wave reflections from over 400 dynamite shots. The capabilities and potential of DAS fiber loops for surface-based seismic surveys in such an environment have been evaluated. The DAS strain measurements were converted to particle velocity and compared to geophone data that were acquired concurrently; stacked sections were focused on the deeper P-wave reflections in the 0.7 – 2.0 s time window. Estimated average phase response shows that the fiber loop converted-velocity DAS data is ~160° phase-rotated compared to the geophone data. Furthermore, well-tie results for the DAS fiber-loop and the geophone data show 66% and 78% correlation, respectively. The P-wave reflection imaging results demonstrate that the DAS fiber loops can provide a comparable alternative to the geophones in this case.

This study explored the use of sulfur waste (SW) as a mineral filler in hot mix asphalt (HMA) modified with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymers to enhance the asphalt’s performance and sustainability. A series of laboratory tests were conducted, including Marshall stability and flow, indirect tensile strength (ITS), Kim test, semicircular bending (SCB), and others, to evaluate the mechanical and rheological properties of the modified asphalt mixtures. The results showed that the addition of SBS and ABS significantly improved the viscosity, stiffness, and resistance to deformation at both high and low temperatures, with SBS offering better high-temperature performance, making it suitable for heavily trafficked roads. ABS, on the other hand, provided a more cost-effective solution for areas with moderate climatic conditions. In addition, the modified mixtures exhibited enhanced moisture resistance and fracture resistance, demonstrating better durability compared to the control mixture. Life-cycle cost analysis further confirmed the economic advantages of using SW with SBS and ABS, reducing asphalt production costs. In conclusion, SBS is recommended for high-traffic, high-temperature regions, while ABS is more suitable for cost-sensitive projects or moderate climates, offering a balance between performance and cost.

Electroplating architecture as an organizer of airborne exposure and inhalation risk in Ni/Cr ABS microenvironments.

Study on the gasification mechanism of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene in supercritical water using experimental and ReaxFF simulation: Products, pathways, and nitrogen migration.

Radiological and Dosimetric Characteristics Evaluation of Enhanced 3D Printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS-Pro) as a Water-Equivalent Material (using radiotherapy treatment beam) in Radiotherapy Applications

This study focuses on the development of a multifunctional polymer composite based on Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene by incorporating Titanium Dioxide and Copper Oxide to enhance both mechanical and antibacterial properties. The primary objective was to create a material that combines structural strength with antimicrobial functionality. Four different composite samples were prepared with varying reinforcement percentages and fabricated using the injection molding process to ensure uniformity and industrial relevance. The mechanical properties were evaluated through tensile, compressive, and hardness testing, whileantibacterialperformancewasassessedusingbacterialcountanalysis(CFU/g).Among allsamples,the compositioncontaining75%ABSwith12.5%TiO₂and12.5%CuOexhibitedthebestperformance,showingthehighesttensilestrength,co mpressivestrength,andhardness values along with a significant reduction in bacterial count. These results indicate a clear improvement compared to pure ABS and lower reinforcement levels. The study concludes that the combined use of TiO₂ and CuO successfully results in a multifunctional composite with enhanced mechanical properties and effective antibacterial behavior, making it suitable for applications requiring both durability and hygiene.

Fused deposition modelling (FDM), a widely used 3D printing technique, is employed to fabricate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) specimens, selected for its reliable printability and sensitivity to processing conditions. The flexibility of FDM enables precise control over printing parameters, providing an effective platform to examine their influence on fracture behaviour. In this study, the effects of layer height, nozzle diameter, and print speed are systematically investigated using the essential work of fracture (EWF) method, which separates crack-initiation and crack-propagation energy contributions. A full factorial design of experiments is implemented, revealing strong agreement between fracture responses and morphological observations, thereby linking microstructural features to governing fracture mechanisms. The results show that layer height and print speed are the most influential parameters. Reducing layer height increased tensile strength, tensile modulus, and crack-initiation resistance by approximately 15%, 11%, and 74%, respectively. Similarly, lower print speed improved these properties by about 6%, 4%, and 20%. Accordingly, optimal tensile and fracture performance was achieved at low layer height and low print speed, while nozzle diameter showed a comparatively minor effect. Conversely, higher layer height, higher print speed, and larger nozzle diameter enhanced ductility and crack-propagation resistance, highlighting a trade-off between strength-dominated and energy-dissipative fracture behaviour. These findings provide practical guidelines for tailoring fracture performance in FDM-printed ABS.

Background: Achieving facial harmony in patients with micrognathia requires precise chin augmentation. While conventional ready-made implants often fail to conform to unique mandibular surfaces, expensive patient-specific options like PEEK or Titanium lack intraoperative adjustability. We introduce an innovative, cost-effective workflow utilizing 3D-printed templates to fabricate customized Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) implants, emphasizing their clinical feasibility and intraoperative versatility. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 20 patients with mild-to-moderate micrognathia (<6 mm advancement) who underwent genioplasty between March 2021 and June 2022. Patient-specific templates were produced via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) using low-shrinkage Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) filament. During surgery, final PMMA implants were molded using these sterilized templates. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing mental advancement across preoperative, virtual simulation, and 6-month postoperative stages using Vectra 3D scanning. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed high fidelity between virtual planning and clinical outcomes. The mean discrepancy in horizontal advancement was only 1.02 mm (Planned: 5.04 mm vs. Actual: 4.02 mm). Statistical analysis showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.928, p = 0.001). Subjective patient satisfaction was high, with 90% reporting “exceptional” or “very improved” results on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Two cases of transient numbness resolved spontaneously within two months. Conclusions: This workflow combines FDM-based template fabrication with intraoperative PMMA molding, enabling real-time adjustment of implant geometry. The results demonstrate a high level of agreement between virtual planning and postoperative outcomes, supporting the clinical reliability of this approach. It may serve as a practical alternative to conventional CAD/CAM methods, particularly in cases requiring both precision and intraoperative flexibility.