Effect of nanozirconia content on mechanical and erosion properties of 3D printed polylactic acid based composite

Polylactic acid (PLA) -based composite is biodegradable material, made up with in combination of natural fibers, nanomaterials and other polymers, that making it suitable for various applications. Nanocomposites typically consist of PLA matrix reinforced with nano-filler such as carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, nanoclays and so on. In this context, different proportions of nano-zirconia e.g., (3%, 6% and 9%, by weight) have been incorporated to enhance the strength and erosion properties of PLA composites. PLA composite filaments with different nano-zirconia contents were extruded using a twin-screw system and 3D-printed via fused filament fabrication. Various properties such as void content, hardness, compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength and erosion wear rate. The experimental results indicate that the increase in the nano-zirconia from 0 wt.% to 3 wt.% increased the void content by 7.8%, thereby produced low density composites. Despite of increase in void content, increase in the nano-zirconia from 0 wt.% to 3 wt.% increased the mechanical properties such as hardness by 13.6%, compressive strength by 3.4%, flexural strength by 5.4% and impact strength by 5.8%. The results of erosion wear test indicated that the increase in impact velocity (varies from 35 m/sec to 45 m/sec) and erodent size (from 100 µ to 200 µ) increased the erosion wear rate by 11.8% and 22.2% respectively. Due to their enhanced mechanical and wear-resistance properties, PLA-based nanocomposites are used in structural components, automotive parts, biomedical devices, and high-performance 3D-printed applications.