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Investigation of Recycled and Coextruded PLA Filament for Additive Manufacturing
Jana Sasse1, Lukas Pelzer1, Malte Schön1
1Institute for Plastics Processing, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Polymers
|June 24, 2022
Summary
Recycled polylactide acid (PLA) in fused filament fabrication shows limited recyclability due to degradation. Coextruded filaments with recycled PLA cores offer potential cost savings but exhibit reduced layer adhesion and tensile strength compared to blends.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Recycling
Background:
- Polylactide acid (PLA) is a widely used plastic in extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM).
- While PLA is bio-based and theoretically biodegradable, its practical recyclability in fused filament fabrication (FFF) is hindered by material degradation.
- Understanding the recyclability of recycled PLA (rPLA) is crucial for sustainable AM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the recyclability of PLA in FFF by comparing blends of rPLA with virgin PLA against a novel coextruded filament.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties and structural integrity of filaments produced using different rPLA incorporation methods.
- To determine the efficiency of a coextrusion approach versus simple blending for utilizing rPLA.
Main Methods:
- Filaments were prepared with varying contents of rPLA, including blends and a coextruded design (rPLA core, virgin PLA skin).
- Samples were manufactured using fused filament fabrication (FFF) from the prepared filaments.
- Mechanical properties, including strand strength, layer adhesion, and tensile strength, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Individual filament strand strength showed no significant decrease.
- Layer adhesion decreased by up to 67% in the tested materials.
- Coextruded filaments exhibited increased brittleness and lacked continuous weld lines, leading to reduced tensile strength compared to monoextruded counterparts.
Conclusions:
- While blending rPLA with virgin PLA or using coextruded filaments presents challenges in mechanical performance, particularly layer adhesion and tensile strength, the coextrusion method offers potential economic benefits.
- The coextruded filament design can reduce costs associated with master batch and colorants due to the outer layer's impact on part coloring.
- Further research is needed to optimize coextrusion techniques for improved mechanical properties while retaining cost advantages for sustainable additive manufacturing.
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