4D Printing of a Novel Fully Biodegradable Plastic: Poly(Propylene Carbonate Phthalate) (PPC-P)

Abstract

4D printing, an emerging manufacturing technique incorporating a temporal dimension to enable shape/property evolution under stimuli, has gathered significant interest. However, biodegradable polymers suitable for low-cost fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based 4D printing that simultaneously combine low warpage, balanced mechanical strength, and stable thermal-responsive shape memory performance are still scarce. CO₂-incorporated aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters tailored for low-cost FDM-based 4D printing have not been systematically investigated. This study investigates the FDM process optimization, performance characterization, and 4D printing potential of a novel biodegradable polymer, poly-(propylene carbonate phthalate) (PPC-P). Key FDM parameters were determined as printing temperature 170°C–190°C, printing speed 40–50 mm/s, layer height 0.1–0.2 mm. The raster angle significantly affects mechanical performance: specimens printed at 90° raster angle achieve a maximum tensile strength of 33.1 MPa. Single-edge-notch three-point-bending tests confirm that intralayer bonding (G _fe = 2.62 kJ/m²) is superior to interlayer bonding (G _fe = 1.67 kJ/m²). The high-precision FDM fabrication of PPC-P was successfully achieved. Crucially, the printed specimens exhibit satisfactory thermally responsive shape memory effect: complete shape recovery (R _r reached 96.5%) occurs rapidly in 45°C water bath. This work provides a promising new biodegradable material option for FDM based 4D printing, with applications in temperature sensors and soft robotics.