Limonene Derivative of Spherosilicate as a Polylactide Modifier for Applications in 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

The first report of using limonene derivative of a spherosilicate as a modifier of polylactide used for 3D printing and injection moulding is presented. The paper presents the use of limonene-functionalized spherosilicate derivative as a functional additive. The study compared the material characteristics of polylactide modified with SS-Limonene (0.25–5.0% w/w) processed with traditional injection moulding and 3D printing (FFF, FDM). A significant improvement in the processing properties concerning rheology, inter-layer adhesion, and mechanical properties was achieved, which translated into the quality of the print and reduction of waste production. Moreover, the paper describes the elementary stages of thermal transformations of the obtained hybrid systems.

Why POSS-Type Compounds Should Be Considered Nanomodifiers, Not Nanofillers—A Polypropylene Blends Case Study

“…This is due to limited miscibility of the additive with the polymer matrix, which was confirmed by SEM-EDS imaging (critical concentration reached for 0.1% loading). The effect of SS-Limonene may be explained similarly to our previous reports on spherosilicate/polyethylene and spherosilicate/PLA composites, where SS-Limonene was proven to undergo polymerization under high temperatures of polymer processing, which, in case of PE, resulted in formation of a polymer blend of improved mechanical properties [ 31 , 33 ]. For SS-Glycidyl, this explanation is unsuitable as no such polymerization was observed.…”

“…For this reason, it should be distinguished if the introduction of a given additive to the base polymer results in formation of a composite or a nanocomposite. In our earlier works, we presented the influence of silsesquioxane- and spherosilicate-based additives on the properties of polyethylene- [ 31 , 32 ] and PLA-based [ 33 ] composites. For polypropylene, silsesquioxane-doped composites thereof were studied towards their crystallization behavior, mechanical properties, processing rheology, and thermal stability [ 34 ].…”

Silsesquioxane-Doped Electrospun Nanofibrillar Membranes for Separation Systems

“…In this study, the electrospinning technique was used to obtain polylactide (PLA) membranes doped with organosilicon modifiers comprising a group of cage siloxanes: functionalized silsesquioxanes (SSQs) and a spherosilicate (SS), the last one being studied earlier as an effective processing additive for PLA [41]. PLA is known for being a biofriendly, biodegradable, and bioresorbable material derived from the polymerization of naturally produced lactic acid (obtained in a fermentation process), characterized by partial transparency, moderately good mechanical properties and, depending on production conditions, amorphous or semi-crystalline structure.…”

A Brief Review of the Applications of Selected Thermal Analysis Methods to 3D Printing

“…DTA allowed them to highlight significant differences in the calorimetric behavior of the filaments without talc, concluding that pure polymer filaments are not the best option for the FDM process. Another research group investigated PLA modification to increase its printing behavior; Przekop et al, used a limonene derivative of a spherosilicate (SS) as a functional additive, obtaining a significant improvement in the processing properties of the prepared hybrid composite [23]. DSC analysis allowed these researchers to demonstrate that SS-limonene promoted the plasticization of the PLA matrix, facilitating the printing process.…”