Can carbon fiber cause the same damage to the human body as asbestos? [Nathan] I found myself struggling After looking at Examination of the carbon fiber reinforced filaments under a microscope revealed a sight reminiscent of fibrous asbestos samples. An absolutely horrible shock Given the effects of asbestos exposure, this is a very pertinent question. Luckily, scientific research has already been conducted on this topic.
meanwhile [Nathan] While the short carbon fibers (CF) found in some FDM filaments have been shown to easily stick to the skin and remain there even after repeated hand washing, asbestos is dangerous because the mineral fibers are large in size and can be easily inhaled. This property allows asbestos fibers to penetrate deep into the lungs, piercing cell membranes and causing persistent inflammation, DNA damage, and in many cases lung cancer or worse.
Obviously, the 0.5-1mm sized CF strands of FDM filaments are not easily inhaled, [Jing Wang] Colleagues in 2017 Journal of Nanobiotechnology paperCF is easily broken down into smaller, sharper pieces by mechanical operations (e.g., cutting, grinding, etc.). can It must be breathable. Thus, damaged carbon fibers, whether from CF reinforced thermal polymers or other CF containing materials, pose a potential health risk. This is similar to asbestos, which poses no risk when stable in situ, but can create a cloud of breathable fibers when disturbed. Therefore, wearing an effective respirator (at least N95/P2) rated to filter asbestos fibers seems to be a wise precaution when handling CF containing materials, especially when processing them.
The dangerous side of asbestos and other substances is that diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma may not be immediately noticeable after exposure and can take decades to develop — in the case of mesothelioma, 15 to 30 years after exposure — so protecting yourself with a good respiratory system now is the only thing you can be relatively sure of not cursing your overconfident younger self later.
