来自United Arab Emirates Universityare exploring the development of recycled composite materials using leftover 3D printed PLA and carbon fiber waste.
Plastic consumption has been on the rise since its invention over a century ago, resulting in polluting waste that poses a challenge for both humanity and the rest of Earth’s ecosystem. In recent years especially, there’s been a push towards ‘green initiatives’ that work to realize a more sustainable society. One such initiative is recycling, whereby polymers like 3D printed PLA waste are repurposed for new applications.
Similarly, composite materials have also seen increased demand over the years, with carbon fiber reinforcements having applications in both conventional manufacturing and 3D printing. Much like polymers, the widespread use of carbon fibers in industries such as automotive and aerospace is fueling an ever-worsening waste issue.
Taking the opportunity to strike two birds with one stone, the UAE researchers have found a way to repurpose two different waste streams and address the material needs of the composites sector.
Carbon fiber-reinforced PLA
聚乳酸或PLA是一种基于生物的聚合物，它是使用糖发酵过程中乳酸创建的。最初，它是针对原油基聚合物的一种更环保的替代品，并且在技术上是可生物降解的（尽管在工业堆肥条件下）。除了是桌面3D打印空间中使用最广泛的聚合物外，PLA还具有多种包装，一次性杯子等的应用。
Although it’s very cost-effective, easy to process, and easy to 3D print, PLA in its pure form offers poor thermal and mechanical stability so it’s not suitable for any high-performance applications.
改善材料特性的一种方法是添加剂，例如碳纤维增援，因为碳纤维复合材料可以提供机械性能和耐热性的极佳混合物。
回收复合材料的表现如何？
为了创建其再生复合材料，阿联酋团队从大学的原型实验室收集了剩余的3D印刷PLA。为了获得复合材料的碳纤维元件，使用了CF销售表和碳纤维板的废料。将PLA和碳纤维废料切碎，地面，混合和融合成不同百分比的添加剂。
然后，该团队将配方将配方加热到Dogbone标本中，并使用通用测试机表征回收复合材料的机械性能。
Interestingly, the researchers found that both the additive percentage and the type of filler had an impact on mechanical performance. For example, the 20% carbon fiber composite had a higher modulus of elasticity than the 20% carbon fiber-prepreg sheet composite.
总而言之，碳纤维增援通常提高了PLA的强度，20％的碳纤维复合材料具有最高的屈服强度。但是，还发现较高的加固百分比对材料的延展性产生了更大的负面影响。
工作证明可以再保险cycle both PLA and carbon fiber at the same time to develop green composites with tunable properties. The authors hope their project can act as a stepping stone for others to investigate more efficient methods of creating recycled composites for industry.
更多细节的研究可以发现paper titled“碳纤维/PLA回收复合材料”.
There’s an active market for environmentally-conscious materials in 3D printing. Just this month, Brazilian petrochemical firmBraskem发布了它first line of sustainable 3D printing filaments. The launch includes FL600EVA-BIO, a bio-based EVA filament derived from raw sugar cane, as well as recycled polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) offerings.
在其他地方，在University of Bath, researchers recently developed a new way to makePLA material break down using just UV light. By adding some sugar into its composition, scientists at the university’s Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT) have shown that PLA can indeed degrade in natural conditions in a matter of hours.
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特色图显示了碳纤维复合板。通过Furo系统的图像。
