Load bearing investigations on lightweight rubber seed husk cellulose–ABS 3D-printed core and sunn hemp fiber-polyester composite skin building material

The goal of this study is to determine the effect of varying the volume fraction of a novel ABS–rubber seed husk cellulose 3D-printed honeycomb core on the mechanical, drop load impact, fatigue, and thermal behavior of a sunn hemp polyester skin composite. The cellulose/ABS-tailored filaments were created using a screw extruder and the composites were manufactured using compression molding. The results of the tests showed that the tensile strength, flexural strength, tensile modulus, flexural modulus, and Izod impact were all enhanced by the addition of cellulose and the sunn hemp fiber. Moreover, adding 4.0 phr of cellulose to the ABS matrix increased its tensile strength by 141 MPa, flexural strength by 173 MPa, tensile modulus by 4.9 GPa, flexural modulus by 6.1 GPa, and impact toughness by 5.5 J. Similarly, under 25, 50, and 70% of ultimate stress loading conditions, and the fatigue cycles of the composite RSC5 with cellulose content of 4.0 phr reached up to 26,897, 23,899, and 21,559. However, composite with 2.0 phr of cellulose produced significant energy absorption of 12.4 J in the drop load impact toughness. Similarly, the mass-loss stability of composite RSC5 improved with 4 phr of cellulose. The final decomposition temperature was recorded at a maximum of 532 °C, which is a significant improvement on comparison with other composites. Finally, SEM fractography proves that the ABS core adheres better to the polyester resin and the fibers are well adhered to the matrix. In engineering applications, where lightweight composite panels and boards are required, these high-performance and high-thickness core–skin composites could be utilized.

Graphical abstract