Optimization of wear behavior of additively manufactured green biocomposites from printed polylactic acid (PLA) and microcrystalline cellulose


Selwin M., Nagarajan R., Ponsuriyaprakash S., AYRILMIŞ N., Krishnan K., Mohammad F.

WOOD MATERIAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, cilt.21, sa.2, ss.1051-1060, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 21 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/17480272.2025.2466226
  • Dergi Adı: WOOD MATERIAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1051-1060
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

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.