A review of fused filament fabrication of continuous natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites: Techniques and materials

Abstract

The combination of continuous natural fiber and fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing enables the manufacturing of low carbon emitting, environment friendly, lightweight, and high strength biomass composites with designated geometry characteristics. In current literature, reviews associated with continuous fiber 3D printing primarily cover synthetic fibers, such as carbon fiber, Kevlar, and glass fiber. Very few pieces of literature on the FFF printing of continuous natural fibers are available. Techniques/methodologies for incorporating continuous natural fiber reinforcements in FFF is an emerging field of research. A comprehensive review and discussion on current progress and the future prospects of continuous natural fiber 3D printing would be beneficial to its development. This article summarizes the current research status of continuous natural fiber 3D printing, including information on printing techniques, materials, and the influence of printing parameters on composite properties, so as to provide reference for the future development of FFF technology using continuous natural fiber and thermoplastic composites.

4D printing of fiber-reinforced auxetic structures: the building blocks: a review

“…In response to environmental and sustainability challenges, there has been an increasing focus on developing high-performance materials using natural resources [158]. However, natural fiber-reinforced plastic composites provide important challenges due to their diverse properties and characteristics [158][159][160].…”

Polymer composites–Special issue review for additive manufacturing of composites

“…This trend can be noted in the present special issue where many of the papers focus on improvements of the FFF process and FFF material systems. This issue is highlighted by several review articles detailing recent advances in the additive manufacturing technology space including advances in the area of smart materials, 1 coatings of bio-polymer systems, 2 applications with natural materials for the matrix and the fiber, 3 recent advances in the performance of fiber filled polymer systems for the FFF process. 4 Papers in this special issue range from the use of bio and bio-inspired materials, 2,3,5-12 materials and material systems that benefit from nanoscale enhancements, [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] advances in the medical field, [24][25][26] additive material systems utilizing thermosets, [27][28][29] large scale additive manufacturing, [30][31][32] and some rather novel applications in AM.…”

“…1,[33][34][35] Several articles focus on improvements for characterization, [36][37][38][39] and quite a few seek to identify parameters to enhance the final part performance through processing improvements. [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] The studies investigating the use of biological materials and bio-inspired systems begin with a thorough review by Tao et al 3 with a special focus on natural fibers. Kumar et al [5][6][7] investigate the use of natural materials, specifically grass and palm fibers, in the use of brake friction materials.…”

On mechanical characterization and damage analysis of additively manufactured continuous fiber/poly‐lactic acid bio‐composite using in‐nozzle technique

“…Currently, continuous fiber‐reinforced 3D printing (CFR‐3DP) is a revolutionary manufacturing technique that is transforming the future of manufacturing. CFR‐3DP combines the principle of 3D printing with the strength and adaptability of the continuous fiber 1,2 . This advanced technology is poised to upgrade various industries, from aerospace to automotive.…”