Tensile Behavior of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) Based Composites Reinforced with Natural Fiber

Abstract

Natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filaments for 3D printing were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with 1–5 wt% henequen flour comprising particles with sizes between 90–250 μm. The flour was obtained from natural henequen fibers. NFRCs and pristine PLA specimens were printed with a 0° raster angle for tension tests. The results showed that the NFRCs’ measured density, porosity, and degree of crystallinity increased with flour content. The tensile tests showed that the NFRC Young’s modulus was lower than that of the printed pristine PLA. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs’ maximum stress and strain to failure were higher than those of the printed PLA, which was attributed to the henequen fibers acting as reinforcement and delaying crack growth. However, for 2 wt% and higher flour contents, the NFRCs’ maximum stress was lower than that of the printed PLA. Microscopic characterization after testing showed an increase in voids and defects, with the increase in flour content attributed to particle agglomeration. For 1 wt% flour content, the NFRCs were also printed with raster angles of ±45° and 90° for comparison; the highest tensile properties were obtained with a 0° raster angle. Finally, adding 3 wt% content of maleic anhydride to the NFRC with 1 wt% flour content slightly increased the maximum stress. The results presented herein warrant further research to fully understand the mechanical properties of printed NFRCs made of PLA reinforced with natural henequen fibers.

Deformation Behavior Investigation of Auxetic Structure Made of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Biopolymers Using Finite Element Method

“…Polylactic acid (PLA) is another kind of 100% biodegradable polymer with a much higher strength than PBAT. Agaliotis et al [ 24 ] reported a new kind of natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filament fabricated using PLA reinforced with flour of henequen (a kind of plant) fibers. They studied the effect of the flour content on the tensile properties, including thermal, physical, and microscopic characteristics, where the specimen is manufactured by 3D printing [ 24 ].…”

“…Agaliotis et al [ 24 ] reported a new kind of natural fiber-reinforced composite (NFRC) filament fabricated using PLA reinforced with flour of henequen (a kind of plant) fibers. They studied the effect of the flour content on the tensile properties, including thermal, physical, and microscopic characteristics, where the specimen is manufactured by 3D printing [ 24 ]. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) techniques are currently used to produce auxetic structures.…”

Thermoprocessable Bio-waste-Based Composites from Animal Glue and Lignocellulosic Waste Fibers

“…This result further demonstrated the excellent interlayer adhesion of these composites already observed during the 3D printing process. Lastly, the stiffness of these materials, which ranges from 1.6 to 1.8 GPa (Table S7), is comparable to the stiffness of PLA composites filled with natural fibers, − which are among the most popular bio-based composites used in 3D printing.…”

Degradation Behavior of 3D-Printed Residue of Astragalus Particle/Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites under Soil Conditions

“…Bright et al [ 8 ] mixed powdered raw and alkali-treated pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) with PLA and extruded the mixture as filament for 3D printing. Agaliotis et al [ 9 ] prepared henequen flour/PLA composite filaments by reinforcing PLA with 1–5 wt% henequen flour particles, and then printed samples with a 0° deposition angle. These FFF 3D-printed biocomposites have many advantages such as low cost, low density, acceptable specific mechanical properties, enhanced biodegradability, and recyclability.…”