Economic and environmental impact analysis of cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced cementitious mixture in 3D printing

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a transformative technology in the construction sector; however, cementitious composites are hindered by high costs and substantial environmental impacts. This study investigates cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)-reinforced cementitious mixture for its economic feasibility and environmental impacts in the 3D printing sector. In this study, a commercial large-scale process model with a daily capacity of 100 m³ for cementitious mixture production for 3D printing was developed. The estimated minimum selling price (MSP) of CNC-reinforced cementitious mixture was $423/m³, which was 3 % higher than conventional cementitious mixture due to composition variations, and the estimated minimum printing cost was $333/m³. The estimated global warming impact of 1 m³ of CNC-reinforced cementitious mixture was 1704.81 kg CO₂ eq, which was higher than conventional cementitious mixture. The MSP and environmental impact of CNC-reinforced cementitious mixture were lower than conventional cementitious mixture when compressive and flexural strength were considered as functional units.

Citation

Rajendran, Naveenkumar; Runge, Troy; Bergman, Richard; Nepal, Prakash; Ali, Syed Danish; Fahim, Abdullah Al; Moradllo, Mehdi Khanzadeh. 2025. Economic and environmental impact analysis of cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced cementitious mixture in 3D printing. Resources, Conservation & Recycling. 218: 108252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108252.