The range of selective laser sintering (SLS) materials is currently limited, and the available materials are often of high cost. Moreover, the mechanical strength of wood–plastic SLS parts is low, which restricts the application of a SLS technology. A new composite material has been proposed to address these issues, while simultaneously valorizing agricultural and forestry waste. This composite presents several advantages, including reduced pollution associated with waste disposal and reduced CO2 emission with the SLS process in addition to good mechanical strength. In this article, a novel and low-cost Prosopis chilensis/polyethersulfone composite (PCPC) was used as a primary material for SLS. The formability of PCPC with various raw material ratios was investigated via single-layer experiments, while the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy of the parts produced using the various PCPC ratios were evaluated. Further, the microstructure and particle distribution in the PCPC pieces were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The result showed that the SLS part produced via 10/90 (wt/wt) PCPC exhibited the best mechanical strength and forming quality compared to other ratios and pure polyethersulfone (PES), where bending and tensile strengths of 10.78 and 4.94 MPa were measured. To improve the mechanical strength, post-processing infiltration was used and the PCPC-waxed parts were enhanced to 12.38 MPa and 5.73 MPa for bending and tensile strength.
This article aims to improve the sintering quality of the sisal fiber/poly-(ether sulfone) (PES) composite (SFPC) part fabricated via selective laser sintering (SLS). The sisal fiber and PES powders were proposed as the feedstock of the SFPC powder bed for SLS. An orthogonal experimental methodology with four levels and five factors was applied to optimize the process parameters for the single-layer sintering experiment. The mechanical properties and accurate dimensions of the sintered part were tested using a universal testing machine and Vernier caliper. The preheating temperature, scanning speed, and laser power were selected as influencing factors on the mechanical properties and accuracy dimensions of the SFPC part. Furthermore, the influence factors on the quality of the sintered part were studied and analyzed. Additionally, the synthesis weighted scoring method was used to determine the optimum parameters of the SLS part. The results showed that the optimal parameters (factors) were preheating temperature of 82°C, scanning speed of 2 m s−1, laser power of 14 W, and laser wavelength of 10.6 μm. Thus, the quality of SFPC part was significantly enhanced when the optimum parameters were applied in SLS process. This article provided the main reference value for the choice of the process parameters of the biomass composite.
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