A New Generation of Bio-Composite Thermoplastic Filaments for a More Sustainable Design of Parts Manufactured by FDM

Applied Sciences

Massimiliano Gaeta¹  Giulia Pascoletti²  Rita Ambu³  Michele Calì⁴  Giovanni Milazzo⁵ 

[1] Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy;Department of Engineering, V. Duranti 67, 06125 Perugia, Italy;Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy;Electric, Electronics and Computer Engineering Department, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy;MICA S.r.l. Via Cesare Terranova 4, 97100 Ragusa (RG), Sicily, Italy;

关键词: organic bio-composite filament;    design;    additive manufacturing capability;    roughness;    mechanical properties;    biomedical applications;   

DOI  :  10.3390/app10175852

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The most recent developments of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) techniques are moving the application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies toward new areas of investigation such as the biomedical, aerospace, and marine engineering in addition to the more consolidated industrial and civil fields. Some specific characteristics are required for the components designed for peculiar applications, such as complex geometries, lightweight, and high strength as well as breathability and aesthetic appearance specifically in the biomedical field. All these design specifications could be potentially satisfied by manufacturing with 3D printing techniques. Moreover, the development of purpose-dedicated filaments can be considered a key factor to successfully meet all the requirements. In this paper, fabrication and applications of five new thermoplastic materials with fillers are described and analyzed. They are organic bio-plastic compounds made of polylactic acid (PLA) and organic by-products. The growing interest in these new composite materials reinforced with organic by-products is due to the reduction of production management costs and their low environmental impact. In this study, the production workflow has been set up and described in detail. The main properties of these new thermoplastic materials have been analyzed with a major emphasis on strength, lightweight, and surface finish. The analysis showed that these materials can be particularly suitable for biomedical applications. Therefore, two different biomedical devices were selected and relative prototypes were manufactured with one of the analyzed thermoplastic materials. The feasibility, benefits, and performance of the thermoplastic material considered for these applications were successfully assessed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown