Evaluation of properties of polymer-ceramic filaments modified with aluminosilicates for use in 3D printing

A study was conducted on selected nanoclay fillers, i.e. montmorillonite (MMT) or halloysite (HNT) in polylactic acid (PLA) pellets for the manufacture of filaments for 3D printing. A 1-3 weight fraction of the filler was used. In order to compatibilize the nanofiller with the PLA, two methods were employed to facilitate dispersion of the nanoclay particles: using prewetting of the nanoclay in dichloromethane (DCM) and introducing a short-chain plasticizer (polyethylene glycol, PEG200) during the homogenization process. The effectiveness of filler dispersion was verified by performing thermal analysis, i.e. thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (DG/DSC), as well as by microscopic observations. The processability of the obtained nanocomposite filament was verified for the finished products manufactured from both of the materials by FDM printing. Mechanical strength and impact tests were conducted on the printed samples. The results showed that the prints made from the nanocomposite filaments have better tensile strength (by 25 and 10% for PLA/HNT and PLA/MMT, respectively) compared to prints made from the pure polymer filament.

---

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).