Embellishing, engraving materials using laser technology to create innovative surfaces for recycled and sustainable materials

This research originated as a budgeting issue in education and a concern for the growing abandonment of the Earth’s resources through discarding materials and high energy consumption. The waste of valuable potential recyclable materials such as polymers forms the underlying body of the research. The research recognised a need for sustainable materials to be manufactured therfore experimentation of combining waste polymer products with laser re-surfacing process was investigated. Suitable materials and laser embellished products were examined through research-led experiments for sustainable use in education.
An analysis of recycling processes plus environmental impacts of polymer products that end up in a landfill informed the research of what could be reinvented into new products. This work contributes to knowledge by documenting the versatility of polymers as a remouldable material as well as the possibilities of using high powered lasers to etch complicated designs on the surface. To encourage designers to view plastic as an alternative useful material for textile design.
This thesis identifies possible existing gaps and tries to bridge the divide between students, practitioners and designers. The research identifies the need for designers to further develop technology processes as well as considering the impacts of their
decisions for the Earth. It also, investigates the possibilities of mass production and limitations of the laser processes as a design tool for practitioners. The work also demonstrates the journey of the different materials through processes, moreover, how the laser interacts with each material and the constraints, hazards to both life and the
environment.