Polypropylene/Cellulose Composites for Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

Baris Kaynak, Martin Spörk, Anuja Shirole, Wolfgang Ziegler, Janak Sapkota

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The preparation of polypropylene (PP)/microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) composites and their applicability for material extrusion additive manufacturing (ME-AM) is reported. MCC is modified by grafting onto its surface with different silanes, in particular perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, n-octyltriethoxysilane (OTS), or aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The efficacy of the surface modification is confirmed by attenuated total reflectance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The affinity of the modified MCC to the polar PP matrix is investigated by direct melt-compounding, and the applicability of the resulting composites for material ME-AM is accessed by fabrication of filaments and evaluating the relevant property requirements. The surface modification of the MCC improves their dispersibility in PP and enhances the mechanical properties of the composites. Moreover, the OTS-modified MCC shows the best reinforcement, good surface finish of the filament, and flawless printability.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1800037
Number of pages8
JournalMacromolecular materials and engineering
Volume303.2018
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Apr 2018

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