Environmental Durability of Bio-Based and Synthetic Thermoplastic Composites in Large-Format Additive Manufacturing
Abstract
This research investigates the durability of large-format 3D-printed thermoplastic composite material systems under environmental exposure conditions of moisture and freeze–thaw. Durability was evaluated for two bio-based composite material systems, namely wood-fiber-reinforced semi-crystalline polylactic acid (WF/PLA) and wood-fiber-reinforced amorphous polylactic acid (WF/aPLA), and one conventionally used synthetic material system, namely short-carbon-fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF/ABS). The moisture absorption, coefficient of moisture expansion, and reduction of relevant mechanical properties—flexural strength and flexural modulus—after accelerated exposure were experimentally characterized. The results showed that the large-format 3D-printed parts made from bio-based thermoplastic polymer composites, compared to conventional polymer composites, were more susceptible to moisture and freeze–thaw exposure, with higher moisture absorption and greater reductions in mechanical properties.
Reference
Felipe A. Saavedra-Rojas; Sunil Bhandari; Roberto A. Lopez-Anido. (2024). Environmental Durability of Bio-Based and Synthetic Thermoplastic Composites in Large-Format Additive Manufacturing. Polymers. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16060787
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