Abstract
In today’s landscape, amidst the pressing planetary ecological dilemmas, biodegradable and compostable plastics are rising as the cornerstone for nurturing sustainability in the society of tomorrow. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing technology that is highly applied to several industries and has ideal material, geometric, and customization attributes not offered by other production methods. Biodegradable poly (lactic acid) (PLA), a routine feedstock for FDM (fused deposition modeling) 3D printing process, is sourced entirely from renewable resources, offering advantages such as speedy printing without the need for other chemicals or biologically harmful elements. Despite its mechanical strength, PLA faces limitations hindering widespread use in 3D printing technique. To address this, recent studies focus on enhancing PLA through modifications or blending for 3D printing process to strengthen its durability & heat resistance, and elevating its printability for a wide range of industrial uses. In light of these perspectives, the present study involves the compounding of 60 wt% of PLA with (35 & 39 wt% of) poly [(butylene adipate)-co-terephthalate] (PBAT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) at 1 & 5 wt% in a twin screw extruder to obtain PLA/PBAT/GnP composite filaments. Subsequently, different specimens are fabricated from the composite filaments using a FDM 3D printing system in accordance with ASTM standards. An examination into the mechanical properties, thermal behavior, and morphology of 3D printing composites is conducted. The PLA/PBAT/GnP composites have demonstrated outstanding characteristics in terms of both printability and dimensional stability. As the GnP content rises in the bio-composite, flexural, tensile, and compressive strengths experience a decrease. Notably, the addition of fillers did not demonstrate any significant impact on Shore D hardness and thermal stability.
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