Investigation of Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Reinforced with Paper Microcrystalline Cellulose

Main Article Content

Tom Anto
Rejeesh Charuvila Rajendran
Abhishek Agarwal
Elammaran Jayamani
Valliyappan David Natarajan

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technique that constructs objects layer by layer by depositing thermoplastic material through a nozzle. This method allows for the creation of intricate, custom designs that are often difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing processes. To enhance the mechanical properties of composite materials, cellulose is used as a filler, which has shown significant potential in improving the physical and mechanical characteristics of polymer composites. In this study, waste paper is used to extract cellulose, resulting in microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), which is then used to reinforce the PLA matrix. Composite filaments containing different proportions of MCC (1%, 2%, and 3% by weight) are produced using a twin-screw extruder for subsequent 3D printing. The study examines the impact of MCC content on the structural, morphological, and thermal properties of the filaments and 3D-printed objects. Characterization methods include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile tests. The results show that the addition of MCC does not cause chemical changes. For the 3D-printed samples, the tensile strength of neat PLA is significantly improved with the addition of 1% MCC and continues to increase with higher MCC concentrations.

Article Details

How to Cite
Anto, T., Rajendran, R. C., Agarwal, A., Jayamani, E., & Natarajan, V. D. (2024). Investigation of Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Reinforced with Paper Microcrystalline Cellulose. Applied Science and Engineering Progress, 17(4), 7540. https://doi.org/10.14416/j.asep.2024.08.007
Section
Research Articles

References

M. Bardot and M. D. Schulz, “Biodegradable poly (Lactic acid) nanocomposites for fused deposition modeling 3D printing,” Nanomaterials, vol. 10, no. 12, pp. 2567, 2020, doi: 10.3390/ nano10122567.

X. Wang, M. Jiang, Z. Zhou, J. Gou, and D. Hui, “3D printing of polymer matrix composites: A review and prospective,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 110, pp. 442–458, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.11.034.

F. Ning, W. Cong, J. Qiu, J. Wei, and S. Wang, “Additive manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites using fused deposition modelling,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 80, pp. 369–378, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.06.013.

L. G. Blok, M. L. Longana, H. Yu, and B. K. Woods, “An investigation into 3D printing of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 22, pp. 176–186, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.addma.2018.04.039.

Y. Tao, H. Wang, Z. Li, P. Li, and S. Q. Shi, “Development and application of wood flour-filled polylactic acid composite filament for 3D printing,” Materials, vol. 10, no. 4, p. 339, 2017, doi: 10.3390/ma10040339.

C. Wang, L. M. Smith, W. Zhang, M. Li, G. Wang, S. Q. Shi, H. Cheng, and S. Zhang, “Reinforcement of polylactic acid for fused deposition modeling process with nano particles treated bamboo powder,” Polymers, vol. 11, no. 7, p. 1146, 2019, doi: 10.3390/polym11071146.

A. P. Mathew, K. Oksman, and M. Sain, “Mechanical properties of biodegradable composites from poly lactic acid (PLA) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC),” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 97, no. 5, pp. 2014–2025, 2005, doi: 10.1002/app.21779.

C. A. Murphy and M. N. Collins, “Microcrystalline cellulose reinforced polylactic acid biocomposite filaments for 3D printing,” Polymer Composites, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 1311–1320, 2018, doi: 10.1002/pc.24069.

Q. Wang, C. Ji, J. Sun, Q. Yao, J. Liu, R. M. Y. Saeed, and Q. Zhu, “Kinetic thermal behavior of nanocellulose filled polylactic acid filament for fused filament fabrication 3D printing,” Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 137, no. 7, 2020, Art. no. 48374, doi:10.1002/app.48374.

N. D. Ahmad and M. W. Wildan, “Preparation and properties of cellulose nanocrystals-reinforced Poly (lactic acid) composite filaments for 3D printing applications,” Results in Engineering, vol. 17, 2023, Art. no. 100842, doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2022.100842.

M. Vinyas, S. J. Athul, D. Harursampath, and T. N. Thoi, “Experimental evaluation of the mechanical and thermal properties of 3D printed PLA and its composites,” Materials Research Express, vol. 6, no. 11, 2019, Art. no. 115301, doi: 10.1088/2053-1591/ab43ab.

P. Kakanuru and K. Pochiraju, “Moisture ingress and degradation of additively manufactured PLA, ABS and PLA/SiC composite parts”, Additive Manufacturing, vol. 36, 2020, Art. no. 101529, doi: 10.1016/j.addma.2020.101529.

T. N. M. Irfan, T. S. George, K. S. Abidh, S. Prakash, B. P. Kanoth, N. George, V. B. Kurup, C. D. M. Dominic, and A. B. Nair, “Waste paper as a viable sustainable source for cellulosic extraction by chlorine free bleaching and acid hydrolysis method for the production of PVA-starch/cellulose based biocomposites,” Materials Today: Proceedings, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr. 2023.03.805.

M. Kam, A. Ipekci, and Ö. Şengül, “Investigation of the effect of FDM process parameters on mechanical properties of 3D printed PA12 samples

using Taguchi method,” Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 307–325, 2023, doi: 10.1177/08927057211006459.

N. Ayrilmis, M. Kariz, J. H. Kwon, and M. K. Kuzman, “Effect of printing layer thickness on water absorption and mechanical properties of 3D-printed wood/PLA composite materials,” The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 102, pp. 2195–2200, 2019, doi: 10.1007/s00170-019-03299-9.

W. Wu, P. Geng, G. Li, D. Zhao, H. Zhang and J. Zhao, “Influence of layer thickness and raster angle on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed PEEK and a comparative mechanical study between PEEK and ABS,” Materials, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 5834–5846, 2015, doi: 10.3390/ma8095271.

B. Coppola, N. Cappetti, L. Di Maio, P. Scarfato, and L. Incarnato, “3D printing of PLA/clay nanocomposites: Influence of printing temperature on printed samples properties,” Materials, vol. 11, no. 10, p. 1947, 2018, doi: 10.3390/ma11101947.

P. Parandoush and D. Lin, “A review on additive manufacturing of polymer-fiber composites,” Composite Structures, vol. 182, pp. 36–53, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2017.08.088.

S. F. Kabir, K. Mathur, and A. F. M. Seyam, “Maximizing the performance of 3d printed fiber-reinforced composites,” Journal of Composites Science, vol. 5, no. 5, p. 136, 2021, doi: 10.3390/jcs5050136.

T. Anto, R. C. Rajendran, P. K. Muraleedharan, and E. Jayamani, “Effect of borax-boric acid treatment on fire resistance, thermal stability, acoustic, and mechanical properties of mycelium bio composites,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 4, 2024, Art. no. 7271, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2023.11.007.

S. Phongtamrug, P. Pilasen, and K. Ridthitid, “Effects of silane coupling agents on physical properties of simultaneous biaxially stretched polylactide film,” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 17, no. 3, p. 7406, 2024, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2024.06.012.

A. Dogru, A. Sozen, G. Neser, and M. O. Seydibeyoglu, “Effects of aging and infill pattern on mechanical properties of hemp reinforced PLA composite produced by fused filament fabrication (FFF),” Applied Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 651–660, 2021, doi: 10.14416/j.asep.2021.08.007.

M. Y. Kim, C. Kim, J. Moon, J. Heo, S. P. Jung, and J. R. Kim, “Polymer film-based screening and isolation of polylactic acid (PLA)-degrading microorganisms,” Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 342–349, 2017, doi: 10.4014/jmb.1610.10015.

A. F. Alwan, “Preparation and characterization of polylactic acid by ring opening polymerization using unconventional heating system,” Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 24–30, 2022, doi: 10.23851/mjs.v33i2.1119.

S. Huang, J. Hwang, H. Liu, and A. Zheng, “A characteristic study of polylactic acid/organic modified montmorillonite (PLA/OMMT) nanocomposite materials after hydrolyzing”, Crystals, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 376, 2021, doi: 10.3390/cryst11040376.

Q. Wang, C. Ji, J. Sun, Q. Zhu, and J. Liu, “Structure and properties of polylactic acid biocomposite films reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils,” Molecules, vol. 25, no. 14, p. 3306, 2020, doi: 10.3390/molecules25143306.