Biodegradable Composite Materials Based on Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) for 3D Printing Applications

Abstract

Presented work deals with the development of bio-source and biodegradable composite material for 3D printing. Polymer blend based on poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (60 wt%) and poly (lactic acid) (25 wt%) plasticized by tributyl citrate (15 wt%) was used as a matrix. This base blend was filled with 10 vol% of kaolin or limestone. Zinc stearate was used for the surface treatment of the limestone samples. The mechanical and thermal properties of the composites, as well as their behavior during 3D printing process, were compared with unfilled blend and commercial poly (lactic acid) based 3D printing filament. Warping behavior, one of the main problems of 3D printing materials, was studied by means of warp coefficient. Cross-sections of specimens 3D printed under the same processing conditions were observed by the optical microscope. In the case of composite samples, individual filaments were separated. Despite the separation, composites filled with kaolin and with surface treated limestone exhibited satisfying mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed good particle distribution of the samples with kaolin and surface treated limestone. No significant particle agglomerates were formed in the composites with limestone proving good dispergation ability of zinc stearate. Thermogravimetric analysis and Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed no degradable effect of the used fillers on base polymer matrix. Observed results indicate that kaolin and surface treated limestone are suitable fillers for the bio-source composites used for 3D printing.