A review of the selective laser sintering technology for bio-based nylon 11

Polyamide 11 (PA11, nylon 11) is a typical bio-based polyamide material prepared from castor oil. With excellent flexibility, relatively low water absorption, and outstanding dimensional stability, it holds great application potential in the field of selective laser sintering (SLS) additive manufacturing. However, in the SLS processing stage, PA11 powder faces high-temperature aging, causing melt rheological degradation and restricting powder recycling and reuse; Meanwhile, the mechanical properties and microstructure of SLS molded parts still lag significantly behind traditional injection-molded products, making material modification and powder recycling and reuse key research directions in this field. This study focuses on systematic investigation of research results related to PA11 adaptation to SLS processes, analyzing and sorting out powder aging and recycling, material blending modification, and molded part performance characterization methods, dissecting various technical challenges currently faced by SLS PA11 systems, and forecasting future development directions in this field. A review of existing literature shows that physical blending of old and new powders is a simple and highly effective method for recovering aged PA11 powders; Blending PA11 with other bio-based nylons can achieve toughening modification effects; Building a multidimensional performance testing system allows for more accurate assessment of molding quality of 3D printed parts.Future research should further explore the intrinsic mechanisms of aging, build composite modification systems, improve powder recovery processes, and empower the industrialization of bio-based PA11 in the SLS field.