Characterization and Sustainability Potential of Recycling 3D-Printed Nylon Composite Wastes

Abstract

The revolution of 3D-printing technology has caused an additional source of plastic waste, especially the new generation of composite filaments that are linked with the commercial fused deposition modeling process, adding pressure to find a sustainable solution to tackle the emerging waste problem. This study aims to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of a blended recycled composite material produced by mixing two different 3D-printed reinforced composite wastes, carbon fiber CF/nylon, and glass fiber GF/nylon filaments that were mixed at different percentages using a hot extrusion procedure, tested by a tensile testing machine, and processed with five different weight ratios to study the impact of blend ratios on the material characteristics of the recycled composites and to find the optimum weight ratios with the most preferred properties. The results revealed that the maximum tensile strength of the GF/nylon composite was achieved with 60 wt%. The highest elastic modulus value was recorded at 60 wt% GF/nylon. Moreover, it was noted that at 80 wt% of GF/nylon, the ductility is at the peak value among the composites.