ERASMUS: Food Contact Safe Plastics Recycler and 3D Printer System

A key goal of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) from 2012 is to utilize the ISS for developing the systems and protocols necessary to humans to venture beyond low Earth orbit for extended durations, and with the push from Congress in 2015 to build a deep space habitat for a Mars mission by 2018, the goals of HEOMD are increasingly important to meet. The ERASMUS technology integrates a plastics recycler, dry heat sterilizer, and 3D printer to create a system that accepts previously-used plastic waste and parts, sterilizes these pre-used materials, recycles them into food-grade and medical-grade 3D printer filament, and 3D prints new utensils and implements. This effort intends to minimize the requirements for initial supply as well as providing a method to make new parts on-demand as-needed. The ERASMUS Phase II effort focuses on the research and development of the ERASMUS process, sterilizing, recycling, and printing, as well as on a design and print effort, developing medical and food-contact devices.

The ERASMUS process has multiple NASA applications that will enhance capabilities on the ISS and other long duration missions. The ability to sterilize plastic materials will enable the re-use of plastic materials without worry of bacterial contamination. Sterilization will also allow for the development 3D printer feedstock that can be made from packaging waste and can be used to 3D print new food-contact, skin-contact, and medical devices.

TUI expects that the ability to create food contract safe sterilized materials will be ideal for the DoD to support soldiers in remote locations where resupply is limited. We also anticipate this technology to be a game-changer for medical service providers with limited access to water. In the Phase II, we plan to explore the possibility to extend the technology to medical grade 3D printing which will have an even more widespread impact across the globe and in space. Medical facilities using the ERASMUS technology will be able to print sterile implants and surgical tools on demand, rather than requiring storage or waiting for the delivery of these devices.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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