Hi, I just finished a PhD-level class in additive manufacturing of polymers and got an A in this class (I've also taken a similar PhD-level class in 3d printing of metal and also got an A). I would be happy to detail for you all of the basic physical phenomena involved in any 3D printing process of your choice. We studied the following processes in class: FDM, SLA/DLP/CLIP, PolyJet, SLS, SLM, direct ink writing, and binder jetting. (If those acronyms don't mean anything to you, don't worry, I will explain them and help you decide which one to study! :) The most basic process is FDM: this is what most desktop printers like the MakerBot use--basically they melt thin lines of plastic to produce multilayered parts).
Of those processes, I have four years of experience with the FDM process on several printers that my research team owns, and I have also produced parts with SLS and SLA.
I am familiar with the physics involved in all of these processes. Additionally, some do not have any chemical transformations, but for those that do (e.g. SLA, PolyJet) I am familiar with those as well.
Thanks,
Caleb