Influence of Rice Husk and Wood Biomass Properties on the Manufacture of Filaments for Fused Deposition Modeling

Abstract

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing has the potential to displace some of the current manufacturing techniques and is particularly attractive if local renewable waste resources can be used. In this study, rice husk, and wood powders were compounded in polylactic acid (PLA) by twin screw extrusion to produce filaments for fused-deposition modeling 3D printing. The biomasses were characterized in terms of physical features (e.g., particle size, density) and chemical compositions (e.g., solid state nuclear magnetic resonance, ash content). The two biomasses were found to have a different impact on the rheological behavior of the compounds and the extrusion process overall stability. When comparing the complex viscosity of neat PLA to the biomass/PLA compounds, the integration of wood powder increased the complex viscosity of the compound, whereas the integration of rice husk powder decreased it. This significant difference in rheological behavior was attributed to the higher specific surface area (and chemical reactivity) of the rice husk particles and the presence of silica in rice husks compared to the wood powder. Color variations were also observed. Despite the biomass filler and rheological behavior differences, the mechanical properties of the 3D printed samples were similar and predominantly affected by the printing direction.

Implementing FDM 3D Printing Strategies Using Natural Fibers to Produce Biomass Composite

“…The studies [ 19 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 53 , 57 , 58 , 60 , 61 ] were missing either one or both of information (fiber wt% or maximum tensile strength) and these studies [ 56 , 59 , 65 , 67 , 73 ] did not include tensile strength as a part of their evaluation.…”

“…However, the flexural properties deteriorated with increasing fiber length, which produced large pores in the infill interlayer and led to adhesion failure in printed specimens. The experiments by Guen et al [ 46 ] revealed that the mechanical properties were reduced by the addition of wood and rice husk fillers to the polymer due to the weakening of the inter-strand cohesion in the printed objects. Daver et al [ 48 ] found that the tensile mechanical properties of the composites deteriorated as the cork content increased while the impact strength initially decreased with the introduction of cork but then increased as the cork content became higher.…”

Milling itineraries dataset for a collection of crop and wood by-products and granulometric properties of the resulting powders

“… These dataset may also open new perspectives for wider uses of biomass in innovative applications, for which advanced granulometric reduction is required (e.g. 3D-printing, smart materials, solid biofuels…) [11] , [12] , [13] . …”

Development and Characterization of Rice Husk and Recycled Polypropylene Composite Filaments for 3D Printing

“…Recently, agricultural residues have been used as a loading material for 3D printing [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ] as they reduce warping [ 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ], enhance printing directionality [ 58 , 59 , 60 ], and display high specific mechanical properties [ 61 , 62 , 63 ]. However, in FFF there are some standing issues such as residues’ agglomeration, viscosity variations, high porosity, low thermal stability [ 64 ], and non-uniform physical and mechanical properties [ 61 ].…”