Properties of 3D-printed wood sawdust-reinforced PLA composites

Thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties of three-dimensional (3D) printed polylactic acid (PLA) composites reinforced with different amounts of waste pine sawdust were investigated. To determine the mechanical properties of the obtained filaments, test samples were produced using a 3D printer according to the mechanical test standards. The filaments that were produced from blends that contained the wood sawdust at the highest level (20%) could be printed via a 3D printer without any problems. According to the results obtained from the mechanical tests, a decrease in the tensile strength values of the composites was observed with the addition of wood sawdust into the neat PLA polymer. On the other hand, it was determined that the flexural strength values of the wood sawdust/PLA composites significantly increased with the addition of the wood sawdust. It was concluded that the waste pine sawdust is a reasonable reinforcement material for the production of composite filament for 3D printing applications and it can be compatibly extruded with PLA polymer. Thus, sawdust can be used as a value-added waste source for the production of high-quality 3D polymeric materials.