Polyhydroxyalkanoate/seashell powder biocomposites with degradability and 3D printing applications.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Growing environmental concerns necessitate sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polymers.
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) offer biodegradability and biocompatibility, positioning them as promising eco-friendly materials.
• Incorporating renewable fillers can enhance the properties and sustainability of biopolymers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)/Seashell Powder (SP) biocomposites.
• To investigate the effect of seashell powder content on the properties and degradability of PHA.
• To evaluate the suitability of these biocomposites for 3D printing applications.

Main Methods:

• Blending of seashell powders (SP) with Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) to create PHA/SP biocomposites.
• Characterization of the distribution, crystallinity, thermal properties, and mechanical performance of the biocomposites.
• Assessment of the degradation behavior under alkaline conditions and evaluation for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing.

Main Results:

• Seashell powders were uniformly distributed within the PHA matrix.
• Increased SP content led to decreased thermal stability but enhanced elastic modulus (up to 3104 MPa).
• PHA/SP biocomposites demonstrated degradation within six days in alkaline conditions, accelerated by higher SP content, and were suitable for FDM 3D printing.

Conclusions:

• A PHA/SP biocomposite system with tunable mechanical properties and enhanced degradability was successfully developed.
• The biocomposites show significant potential for sustainable 3D printing applications, offering customized fabrication possibilities.
• This research contributes to reducing plastic pollution and advancing the use of renewable resources in material science.