Tensile Characteristics of FDM 3D Printed PBAT/PLA/Carbonaceous Biocomposites

Abstract

The use of carbonaceous fillers in polymeric biocomposite materials has been widely studied due to their potential to add better engineering properties to biocomposites and expand their field of applications. Currently, due to the growing global concerns over environmental pollution and climate change, carbonaceous fillers derived from biomass are the preferred choice for production of the sustainable biocomposite materials. Rice husk ash (RHA), an abundant and sustainable carbonaceous filler obtained from the burn of rice husk in kilns of the processing rice was incorporated into the PBAT/PLA blend. The influence of RHA loading on the tensile properties of FDM-3D printed samples was investigated. Neat PBAT/PLA filament and its biocomposite filaments with 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 wt. % RHA were prepared by the extrusion process. The filaments were characterized by FTIR, TG, and SEM. FDM-3D printed specimens were subjected to tensile tests.