High-Density Bio-PE and Pozzolan Based Composites: Formulation and Prototype Design for Control of Low Water Flow

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 13; no. 12; p. 1908
• Main Authors: Schiavone, Nicola, Verney, Vincent, Askanian, Haroutioun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 08.06.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; bio-based polyethylene composite; Biopolymers; By products; Chemical Sciences; Cooling; Extrusion; Extrusion dies; Fillers; Flow velocity; Heat; High density polyethylenes; Irrigation systems; Mechanical properties; Optimization; Polyethylene; Polyethylenes; Polymer matrix composites; Polymers; Pozzolans; Process parameters; Research methodology; Three dimensional printing; Water flow; X-ray tomography; United States > US; X-ray tomography; bio-based polyethylene composite; 3D printing
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym13121908

An eco-friendly solution to produce new material for the material extrusion process is to use quarry waste as filler for biopolymer composites. A quarry waste that is still studied little as a filler for polymer composites is pozzolan. In this study, the optimization of the formulations and processing parameters of composites produced with pozzolan and bio-based polyethylene for 3D printing technology was performed. Furthermore, a precision irrigation system in the form of a drip watering cup was designed, printed, and characterized. The results showed that the presence of the pozzolan acted as a reinforcement for the composite material and improved the cohesion between the layers of the 3D printed objects. Furthermore, the optimization of the process conditions made it possible to print pieces of complex geometry and permeable parts for the control of the water flow rates with an order of magnitude in the range from mL/h to mL/day.