Evaluation of shellac‐polyethylene glycol as an alternative material for fabrication of fused filament fabrication 3D printing filament at low extrusion temperature

Abstract

The lack of biopolymer filament has been recognized as a significant challenge to fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. According to the restricted choice, shellac is a natural polymer of interest due to its thermoplastic property at a low temperature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of applying shellac as a candidate biopolymer for FFF 3D printing filaments. Shellac matrices and plasticized shellac matrices of varying grades of polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared using hot melt processes, and their physicochemical properties and filament properties were investigated. The results showed that a shellac matrix could be easily prepared at 80 C