Biodegradable polymer plays a major role in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies due to its novel characteristics that include its complete degradability and eco-friendly nature. The present research work aims to obtain smooth and stable Poly Lactic Acid (PLA)/Eggshell particles (E) composite filaments with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties for additive manufacturing applications. Composite filaments were developed by varying the ratio of E/PLA to 4-6-8-10-12 weight percentages (wt.%) using a single screw extruder. A study of physical, chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties for the manufactured filaments was made. The extruded filaments were subjected to thermal analysis using Melt Flow Index (MFI) to obtain the optimum value for AM applications. XRD analysis made on 4 wt.% eggshell revealed a higher crystallinity than neat PLA. The thermal results of neat PLA and various weight compositions of E revealed there is a decrease in thermal stability and thermal decomposition due to an increase in filler content. 4 wt.% of E shows the good tensile strength of 49.29 MPa with smooth and stable E/PLA composite filaments during extrusion. The SEM images of the composites revealed the interaction between the filler and the matrix. Based on the experimental work, it is observed that the addition of eggshell powder into the PLA increases the mechanical properties with an optimum content of 4 wt.% of E.

Experimental Investigation on Influence of Waste Egg Shell Particles on Polylactic Acid Matrix for Additive Manufacturing Application

Comparison of Mechanical Properties and Water Absorption Test on Injection Molding and Extrusion - Injection Molding Thermoplastic Hemp Fiber Composite

Additive manufacturing is revolutionizing the field of medical sciences through its key application in the development of bone scaffolds. During scaffold fabrication, achieving a good level of porosity for enhanced mechanical strength is very challenging. The bone scaffolds should hold both the porosity and load withstanding capacity. In this research, a novel structure was designed with the aim of the evaluation of flexible porosity. A CAD model was generated for the novel structure using specific input parameters, whereas the porosity was controlled by varying the input parameters. Poly Amide (PA 2200) material was used for the fabrication of bone scaffolds, which is a biocompatible material. To fabricate a novel structure for bone scaffolds, a Selective Laser Sintering machine (SLS) was used. The displacement under compression loads was observed using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM). In addition to this, numerical analysis of the components was also carried out. The compressive stiffness found through the analysis enables the verification of the load withstanding capacity of the specific bone scaffold model. The experimental porosity was compared with the theoretical porosity and showed almost 29% to 30% reductions when compared to the theoretical porosity. Structural analysis was carried out using ANSYS by changing the geometry. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was carried out using ANSYS FLUENT to estimate the blood pressure and Wall Shear Stress (WSS). From the CFD analysis, maximum pressure of 1.799 Pa was observed. Though the porosity was less than 50%, there was not much variation of WSS. The achievement from this study endorses the great potential of the proposed models which can successfully be adapted for the required bone implant applications.

G. Mathiselvan

Papers

Mechanical behavior of sisal and banana fiber reinforced hybrid epoxy composites

Study on morphological and mechanical properties on treated and untreated veldt grape/PLA composites