3D Printing PLA Waste to Produce Ceramic Based Particulate Reinforced Composite Using Abundant Silica-Sand: Mechanical Properties Characterization

Abstract

Due to the significant properties of silica, thermostatics can be enhanced using silica-additives to maximize the quality of polymer compounds and transform plastics into tailored properties. The silica additives can enhance the handling and quality performance of composites and thermoplastic polymers due to their diverse potential. Besides, using silica as an additive in different characteristics can allow granulates and powders to flow easily, minimize caking, and control rheology. On the other hand, the eruption of 3D printing technology has led to a massive new waste source of plastics, especially the polylactic acid (PLA) that is associated with the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. In this paper, the impact on the mechanical properties when silica is mixed with waste PLA from 3D printing was studied. The PLA/silica mixtures were prepared using different blends through twin extruders and a Universal Testing Machine was used for the mechanical characterization. The result indicated that increasing silica composition resulted in the increase of the tensile strength to 121.03 MPa at 10 wt%. Similar trends were also observed for the toughness, ductility, and the yield stress values of the PLA/silica blends at 10 wt%, which corresponds to the increased mechanical property of the composite material reinforced by the silica particles. Improvement in the mechanical properties of the developed composite material promotes the effective recycling of PLA from applications such as 3D printing and the potential of reusing it in the same application.

Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal and Antimicrobial Properties of Additively Manufactured Polylactic Acid with Optimized Nano Silica Content

“…PLA exhibits a great behavior when it is used in composites, either as matrix or as a component in a polymer blend system [ 2 ]. PLA composites with fillers such as micro-scale fibers, nano- or micro-scaled additives have been suggested for implementation in medical devices [ 3 ], in the construction sector [ 4 ] and many applications requiring advanced mechanical and thermal properties [ 5 , 6 , 7 ], or even with specific dielectric behavior, with the addition of appropriate fillers [ 8 ].…”

Realization of Circular Economy of 3D Printed Plastics: A Review

“…As shown in Figure 9 a, when the silica addition amount is 10 wt%, its tensile strength, flexibility, elastic modulus, and other properties are greatly enhanced. The application of this kind of composite material is feasible, but once the silica content exceeds 15%, the performance will be reduced [ 55 ]. In addition, adding reinforcing materials, extruding 3D printed PLA waste into filaments and coating it with dopamine, as shown in Figure 9 b, is also an effective way to enhance the mechanical properties of recycled PLA.…”

“… The shape of reprocessed waste plastic products. ( a ) Waste PLA blended with SiO 2 [ 55 ]; ( b ) waste PLA blended with dopamine [ 56 ]; ( c , d ) recycling printing process of waste PC material and the energy consumption of waste PC compared with ABS [ 59 ]; ( e ) distribution of fillers inside PETG [ 57 ]; ( f ) on the left is the second printing of the commercial PETG filament, and the right side shows the second printing of the prepared PETG blended filament [ 57 ]. …”

Biodegradable Poly(Lactic Acid) Nanocomposites for Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing

“…Adding silica, collected as sand from local beaches, leads to enhanced thermostatics, which increases handling and quality performance of thermoplastic polymers. Silica, one of the most abundant inorganic ceramics, is a good choice for incorporation into polymer matrices due to its low cost and good mechanical properties [ 87 ]. Incorporating silica during recycling not only increases the tensile strength to 121.03 MPa (with a 10 wt % addition) but also increases toughness, yield stress, and ductility [ 87 ].…”

“…Silica, one of the most abundant inorganic ceramics, is a good choice for incorporation into polymer matrices due to its low cost and good mechanical properties [ 87 ]. Incorporating silica during recycling not only increases the tensile strength to 121.03 MPa (with a 10 wt % addition) but also increases toughness, yield stress, and ductility [ 87 ]. The improved mechanical properties promote recycling of PLA while retaining their biodegradability.…”