Faculty Publications
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Item Additive Manufacturing of Short Silk Fiber Reinforced PETG Composites(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Kn, V.; Bonthu, D.; Doddamani, M.; Pati, F.The growing demand for customized medical devices like prostheses, orthoses, and implants is the prime motive for a surge in the investigation of 3D printable biocomposites. PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol) based composites can be a good choice for biomedical applications. Specific characteristics of this material like biocompatibility, ease of formability, stable thermomechanical properties, and high chemical, and abrasion resistance make it suitable for biomedical applications. However, there are very few studies on the 3D printing of PETG-based composites. Development of a robust 3D printing protocol is required for any novel natural fiber reinforced PETG composites. This study presents natural fiber-reinforced PETG biocomposite filament preparation and 3D printing with the developed composite filaments. Silk was used as a filler material due to its high thermal stability and high tensile strength. Composite filaments with 2 wt%, 5 wt%, and 10 wt% silk were prepared using the extrusion process. Further, we developed a protocol for 3D printing with the developed composites to fabricate various 3D structure. Both filaments and printed specimens were characterized morphologically, structurally, and mechanically. The melt flow rate of the filaments decreased with an increase in fiber content which was a bottleneck for printing 10% silk-PETG composites. Micro-CT results validate an increase in void content in filaments on filler addition. The highest flexural modulus and flexural strength were exhibited by 2% silk-PETG printed parts and a 60% increase in compressive modulus compared to pure PETG. Tensile tests show that 2 wt% fiber addition significantly increased elastic modulus (2466.72 MPa) compared to pure PETG (902.81 MPa), whereas the surface roughness of printed composites increased with filler content. Finally, a lower limb prosthetic socket prototype was printed with a desktop 3D printer to demonstrate its potential for biomedical applications. © 2022 Elsevier LtdItem A short banana fiber—PLA filament for 3D printing: Development and characterization(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Mohamed Shafeer, P.P.; Pitchaimani, J.; Doddamani, M.This study aims to develop a 3D printable composite filament using short banana fiber and polylactic acid (PLA). The filament was acquired through a single screw extruder, employing various blending techniques. Various fiber loadings were examined, impacting PLA's mechanical, thermal, and printability properties. The results revealed altered mechanical characteristics, with reduced tensile and flexural properties compared with pure PLA. However, these values are at an acceptable level for non-structural applications. Compared with previous works, the filament developed in the present work is found out to be second strongest among the cellulose fiber-reinforced PLA filaments. 3D printing with the composite filament encountered no significant issues. A modified mixing method improved mechanical characteristics, although 3D-printed samples showed deteriorated mechanical characteristics due to poor interfacial bonding. This research introduces an environmentally viable strategy for advancing 3D printing technology by integrating banana fibers into PLA filament. The proposed strategy can be effectively utilized in making cellulose/PLA filaments for 3D printing applications. This innovative approach preserves PLA's natural biodegradability while carefully managing the integration of banana fibers and their potential effects on mechanical properties. Highlights: Fiber loading influences mechanical, with minimal impact on thermal properties. Solution casting improved fiber/matrix bonding and filler homogeneity. Plasticizing effect reduces the tensile strength. Modified mixing resulted in even filament diameter and improved tensile properties. © 2024 Society of Plastics Engineers.