Research Information System
WOOD MATERIAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, vol.21, no.2, pp.1051-1060, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study focused on improving the mechanical properties and wear behavior of the 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) by adding microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). An optimal PLA/MCC composite (80:20 wt%) was developed, processed into the filament using a single-screw extruder, and subsequently 3D printed into test specimens using fused deposition modeling (FDM). The mechanical testing revealed substantial improvements compared to the pure PLA: tensile strength increased by 30%, flexural strength by 22.3%, impact strength by 78.9%, and compressive strength by 21.3%. Furthermore, the wear performance of the composites was investigated according to ASTM G99 standards using a multi-tribotester TR25. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the wear parameters - sliding speed (150, 300, 450 rpm), sliding distance (500, 750, 1000 m), and load (5, 7, 9 N) - to minimize wear loss (WL) and the coefficient of friction (COF). The optimized parameters of 1000 m sliding distance, 0.25 m/s sliding speed, and 9 N load resulted in a COF range of 0.08-0.41, demonstrating excellent wear resistance. This research showed the significant potential of the PLA/MCC biocomposites for applications requiring superior mechanical performance and wear resistance, such as those in the automotive and biomedical sectors.