Design and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Polylactic Acid Composites Reinforced with Biodegradable Bamboo Powder and Jute Powder

Abstract

The additive manufacturing of biodegradable polymer composites offers a sustainable approach to material development, yet performance challenges persist. This research investigates using bamboo powder and jute stick powder as reinforcements in polylactic acid (PLA) composites. Bamboo and jute powders are individually blended with PLA using a twin-screw extruder to create composites, which are then fabricated into test samples via fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. Mechanical properties such as tensile, compression, and bending are evaluated, while thermal and structural properties are characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and rheometry. Results reveal a significant reduction in mechanical properties with the addition of bamboo and jute powders. For instance, the tensile strength peaks at 38.13 MPa with 9 wt% bamboo powder but drops to 29.24 MPa at 3 wt%, compared to 41.41 MPa for pure PLA. This decline is attributed to weak fiber-matrix adhesion and uneven fiber distribution. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the potential of incorporating bamboo and jute powders as reinforcing fibers in polylactic acid (PLA) composites to develop sustainable materials with improved properties. This study comprehensively demonstrates the potential for sustainable composites while highlighting areas for optimization in material design.