Recycling of Epoxy Resin via Blending with Polycaprolactone for Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printing Applications
As a way of recycling epoxy thermoset materials, they were blended with polycaprolactone (PCL) and processed in the form of filament to be used for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Three different epoxy materials were considered: a labcured epoxy resin, a lab-cured epoxy/PCL blend, and a...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad del País Vasco |
| Repositorio: | Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/75461 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10810/75461 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | 3D printed and reinforced PCL epoxy resin fiberglass epoxy filler mechanical recycling |
| Sumario: | As a way of recycling epoxy thermoset materials, they were blended with polycaprolactone (PCL) and processed in the form of filament to be used for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Three different epoxy materials were considered: a labcured epoxy resin, a lab-cured epoxy/PCL blend, and a commercial epoxy composite containing fiberglass (FR4). These three thermosets were milled and mixed with pure PCL. The distribution of the epoxy in the PCL matrix was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled to a microscope. The filler FR4 and DGEBA were adequately distributed in the matrix. The rheological study anticipated good adhesion between the layers, without clogging at printing temperatures. The rheological model also predicted filament buckling. Because of that, external assistance (PLA) was required to obtain appropriate printed samples, avoiding buckling. The mechanical properties of the specimens were determined by tensile tests and compared with injection molded specimens. It was observed that the incorporation of the epoxy thermoset to the PCL matrix enhanced Young’s modulus of PCL. Very similar results were obtained between 3D printed and injected samples. The proposed method could be of significant interest in employing thermoset epoxy waste as a cost-effective reinforcement for fuse filament 3D printing materials. |
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