Enhanced compatibility between coconut fibers/PP via chemical modification for 3D printing

• Autor(a) principal: Gama, N.
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Magina, S., Barros-Timmons, A., Ferreira, A.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/36395
• topic: Additive manufacturing; Fused flament fabrication; 3D printing; Chemical modifcation; Coconut fibers composites

Aiming to produce high-quality bio-based 3D printed products, in this work, coconut fibers were chemical modified using caprolactone. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic reasonance (NMR) confirmed the grafting of the hydroxyl groups present on the surface of the fibers with caprolactone units. Furthermore, from contact angle (CA) analyses, the higher hydrophobicity of fibers after chemical treatment was confirmed, which improved its affinity with PP. The enhanced filler/matrix compatibility was reflected on the mechanical performance and processability of the ensuing composites. The modified fibers derived composites showed higher stiffness and higher melting flow index (MFI), when compared to the untreated counterparts. The composites were used to produce 3D printed specimens. Smother filaments were obtained using modified fibers, which confirms the better compatibility of fibers/PP. The surface of the 3D printed composite specimen produced using treated fibers, presented smooth surface, similar to the PP. This observation highlights the enhancement of the 3D printing quality due to the chemical modification of fibers. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.