Investigating the effect of dishwasher on 3D printed food-contact material

The purpose of this study was to explore the dishwasher exposure effects on bacterial reduction, mechanical properties, and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of 3D printed food-contact material objects (FCMs) fabricated from Polymaker PETG and NonOilen filaments which can get in contact with food materials. Samples were subjected to hand washing as simulation of the well-known everyday kitchen cleaning procedure and regular dishwasher cycles for bacterial reduction. The efficiency of the bacterial reduction was tested by comparing microbial performance between samples that received hand washing and samples cleaned by the dishwasher, the results indicating that the treatment of dishwasher was superior in reducing bacterial load. Mechanical property evaluations (tensile strength, layer adhesion, bending and impact resistances) and HDT were carried out for samples subjected to dishwasher cycles and compared with the non-washed as the control samples. The results revealed a significant impact of the dishwasher on the mechanical properties and the HDT with respect to both materials: Polymaker PETG and NonOilen.