Exploring wormwood/polylactic acid biocomposite as 3D printing material

This study reports on the use of wormwood (WWD) fibers to prepare biomass/polylactic acid (PLA) composites as novel 3D printing materials for a fused deposition modeling (FDM) system. WWD fibers are incorporated into PLA at 3 wt% and 5 wt% loadings with particle sizes of 100-mesh and 150-mesh, respectively. The properties of the WWD/PLA biocomposites are characterized through mechanical property testing and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), melt flow index (MFI), and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that both the mechanical and thermal properties of the biocomposites are closely related to the ratio of WWD fibers. The TGA shows that adding WWD fibers shifts the onset of degradation of the PLA to lower temperatures, thus suggesting a catalytic effect due to the organic components of the WWD. However, the composites show improved thermal stability in the high-temperature range (450 °C–600 °C) due to increased char formation from the WWD as a filler. The FTIR analysis further confirms that the WWD fibers influence the thermal degradation pathway of the PLA, with lower carbonyl compound emissions observed for the WWD/PLA biocomposites, thus indicating enhanced char formation. The MFI analysis shows that incorporating WWD fibers improves the flowability of PLA in its molten state, with the highest MFI observed for composites with 5 wt% of WWD. In terms of the mechanical properties, higher WWD loadings reduce the tensile strength and Young's modulus of, in particular, the 150-mesh fiber samples. However, finer fibers (100-mesh) improve ductility, with increased elongation at break. Overall, WWD/PLA biocomposites show potential as environmentally friendly 3D printing materials with improved thermal stability and processability, albeit with a reduction in mechanical strength. These findings provide valuable insights into developing bio-based composites with customized properties for sustainable manufacturing applications.