Effect of Design Parameters on the Properties of PLA Biocomposites Fabricated via Fused Filament Deposition

The use of additive manufacturing techniques in the development of unconventional materials can help reduce the environmental impact of traditional construction materials. In this paper, the properties of a 3D-printed biocomposite were evaluated. Biofilaments obtained by mixing pulverized bamboo fibers with polylactic acid (PLA) resin were extruded during the manufacturing process. To assess the effect of incorporating plant fibers, an analysis was conducted on the morphology, elemental chemical composition, crystallinity index, principal functional groups, thermal stability, surface roughness, microhardness, density, tensile strength, elastic modulus, and strain percentage of reinforced samples. The results were compared with those obtained from the characterization of standard PLA filaments (unreinforced). The fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique was employed to print biocomposite specimens. Additionally, the influence of the printing parameters (infill density, build orientation, and layer thickness) on the physical, tribological, and mechanical properties of the biocomposites was analyzed. These results were compared with those obtained for specimens printed with pure PLA. The findings indicate that incorporating 10% vegetable filler into PLA filaments enhanced the strength and stiffness of the biocomposite under axial loads. Finally, the strength of the biocomposite subjected to axial loads was compared with the standardized values for wood-plastic composites, demonstrating the feasibility of its use for non-structural purposes in civil construction.