Tribological and Dynamical Mechanical Behavior of Prototyped PLA-Based Polymers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sustainable Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Growing demand for non-toxic, biodegradable materials necessitates exploring alternatives to conventional plastics.
• Additive manufacturing technologies require advanced, eco-friendly filaments for sustainable production.
• Understanding material properties under external factors is crucial for optimal application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the properties of Polylactic acid (PLA)-flax filament with a PLA-lignin composite.
• To investigate the mechanical, tribological, structural, chemical, and thermal behaviors of these biodegradable filaments.
• To optimize technological parameters for 3D printing PLA-based filaments.

Main Methods:

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for 3D printing.
• Mechanical testing: tensile strength, bending strength, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA).
• Material characterization: SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, TGA, DSC.

Main Results:

• Detailed analysis of mechanical properties, tribology, structure, and chemical composition.
• Investigation into the influence of technological parameters on 3D printed PLA-flax filaments.
• Assessment of thermal behavior using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC).

Conclusions:

• Biodegradable PLA-flax and PLA-lignin filaments offer promising alternatives to traditional plastics.
• The study provides insights into material behavior and process optimization for sustainable 3D printing.
• These eco-friendly materials have the potential for broad application across various industries.