Mechanical performance of 3D-printed graphene-reinforced polylactic acidnanocomposites

This study investigates the mechanical performance of graphene-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposites that have been 3D printed. The research also highlights the relevance of graphene nanoparticle (GNP) concentration in improving the attributes of the material. A GNP loading of 1.0% is shown to improve the mechanical enhancement and ensure uniform dispersion, which is essential for efficient load transfer and interfacial bonding, according to the study’s findings. When subjected to these circumstances, the nanocomposites reached remarkable flexural and compressive strengths of 85.6 and 84.5 MPa, respectively. At a lower concentration of GNP, 0.5%, the tensile strength was measured to be 47.5 MPa, the highest value ever recorded. Because of stress concentrations and structural flaws, the existence of agglomerates at higher GNP concentrations (1.5 and 2.0%) can lead to a decrease in mechanical performance, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination. These findings highlight the need to adjust the GNP content of PLA nanocomposites to improve their mechanical characteristics. This is especially important in additive manufacturing, where high-strength materials are of the utmost critical necessity. The findings from this work give unique insights into the role of GNP as a reinforcing agent and provide practical instructions for manufacturing advanced PLA-GNP nanocomposites, assuring increased performance in diverse structural applications.