Mechanical and Wear Characteristics Investigation on 3D Printed Silicon Filled Poly (Lactic Acid) Biopolymer Composite Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has attracted much attention in recent years because it allows the rapid fabrication of customizable biopolymer-based composite components. In this research, silicon-filled poly (lactic acid) biocomposite filaments were extruded and subsequently 3D printed using the FDM process. Filament preparation was done with various weight percentages of sub-micrometric silicon particles (0, 1, 3, 5, 7%) filled to improve the poly (lactic acid) (PLA) performance. The mechanical and tribological characteristics of printed biocomposites were thoroughly examined with established techniques. Shore D hardness, tensile, flexural, impact, and compression strengths of PLA filled with 5% silicon particles were found to be 95, 55 MPa, 60 MPa, 5.9 kJ/m², and 11.8 MPa, respectively, as compared to neat PLA, which has the lowest values. The improvement in the mechanical strength of biocomposite was due to the interaction of silicon filler in the PLA matrix, which has good load-carrying ability. The specific wear and coefficient of friction (COF) of the PLA biocomposite filled with 5% silicon particles were 2*10⁻³ mm³/Nm and 0.11, respectively. Specific wear and the coefficient of friction of PLA filled with 5% silicon particles biocomposite were found to be low compared to neat PLA as a result of the formation of a tribo film at the contact surface, as confirmed by worn surface studies. Developed biocomposites are suitable for producing environmentally friendly industrial biocomponents with improved mechanical and tribological properties, potentially increasing their competitiveness in the current attractive market.