Digital light processing 3D printing: Harnessing micro- and nanocellulose for advanced biocomposites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Sustainable materials are crucial for environmentally responsible additive manufacturing.
• Enhancing 3D printing resins with bio-based fillers is an active area of research.
• Digital Light Processing (DLP) is a key additive manufacturing technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA)-modified cellulose fillers in DLP 3D printing resins.
• To comparatively analyze microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel-PH) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-PH) as bio-based reinforcements.
• To assess the impact of OSA modification on filler compatibility, dispersion, and performance.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of OSA-modified Avicel-PH and CNC-PH into DLP resins.
• Comparative analysis of filler performance at varying weight percentages (wt%).
• Evaluation of mechanical properties (tensile modulus), thermal stability, and morphology (SEM).

Main Results:

• OSA modification significantly improved filler compatibility and dispersion in the resin matrix.
• CNC-PH demonstrated superior performance due to its nanoscale structure.
• CNC-PH (10-15 wt%) increased tensile modulus by 336%, and Avicel-PH by 314%.
• Enhanced thermal stability and reduced char formation were observed.
• SEM revealed uniform morphology and strong filler-resin interactions.

Conclusions:

• Surface-modified nanocellulose, particularly CNC-PH, is a highly effective bio-based reinforcement for DLP resins.
• This approach enables the development of high-performance, eco-friendly DLP biocomposites.
• The findings establish a new direction for sustainable additive manufacturing using cellulose derivatives.