Advancing additive manufacturing: 3D‐printing of hybrid natural fiber sandwich (Nona/Soy‐PLA) composites through filament extrusion and its effect on thermomechanical properties

Abstract

AbstractThe additive manufacturing technique represents a technological advancement post the industrial revolution, enabling the development of intricate products with minimal waste. In the automotive sector, polymer extrusion‐based additive manufacturing is predominantly employed for part customization. Recently, reinforced polymer matrices have been used to enhance structural integrity, primarily utilizing synthetic materials. Due to environmental concerns, some recent studies have explored the incorporation of natural fiber reinforcement in polymer matrices for 3D‐printed products. Most research has focused on filler reinforcement, limiting investigations to a single type of reinforcement. To bridge this gap and enhance composite performance, our research introduces a novel method for 3D printing composites. This involves stacking sequences using two different natural fiber‐reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) filaments, namely Nona and Soy, respectively. Mechanical testing reveals that the stacking sequence significantly influences the mechanical properties of the 3D‐printed composites. The 3D‐printed composite with Soy/PLA skin stacks exhibits the highest tensile strength of 74.82 MPa. Thermal analysis shows minor changes in glass transition temperature (Tg) and a consistent degree of crystallinity (10.01%). Notable differences in thermal expansion are observed due to the stacking sequence. Fatigue analysis demonstrates the durability of hybrid composites, enduring over 42,000 cycles with minimal deformation compared with to pure fiber‐reinforced 3D‐printed composites. Morphological analysis reveals excellent fiber–matrix interaction and bonding between stacks. The observations confirm that the developed material can be potentially used for developing structurally enhanced composites for lightweight applications. Moreover, the proposed methodology can be adapted for different 3D printing matrices, including robotic printing with multiple axes, making it suitable for various industrial sectors.Highlights Utilization of 3D printing technology for the development of agro‐waste fiber products. Hybridizing the 3D‐printed composite enhanced the fatigue life. New additive manufacturing technique for developing structurally enhanced composites.