Thermo-mechanical properties of polylactic acid/olive wood composite for additive manufacturing
Francisco Comino, José A. Martinez-Sánchez, Pablo E. Romero, Nicola Gurrado, Roberto Spina
Abstract. This study explored developing and characterizing sustainable composite materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) and olive wood particles. The composites were produced with varying wood contents (5–20 wt.%) and analyzed for their microstructural, thermal, and mechanical properties. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed a homogeneous dispersion of wood particles at lower concentrations, while higher wood contents led to agglomeration and interfacial defects. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) indicated that incorporating wood particles slightly reduced the matrix crystallinity, though the melting temperature remained unaffected. Tensile tests showed that small additions of wood particles (≤10 wt.%) maintained reasonable mechanical properties, slightly increasing Young’s modulus at 10 wt.%. However, higher filler concentrations (>10 wt.%) significantly reduced tensile strength and ductility due to poor interfacial adhesion and particle agglomeration. These findings contribute to developing sustainable materials for applications that balance mechanical performance and eco-friendliness. Further optimization of processing conditions and interfacial compatibility is necessary to maximize performance in industrial applications, particularly in biodegradable and renewable material solutions.
Keywords
Composite, Thermal Properties, Mechanical Properties, Material Extrusion
Published online 5/7/2025, 8 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Francisco Comino, José A. Martinez-Sánchez, Pablo E. Romero, Nicola Gurrado, Roberto Spina, Thermo-mechanical properties of polylactic acid/olive wood composite for additive manufacturing, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 54, pp 2344-2351, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903599-253
The article was published as article 253 of the book Material Forming
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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