Accelerated ageing of 3D printed water purification filters based on PLA reinforced with green nanofibers

Abstract

This study investigates the ageing behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA-based biocomposites reinforced with either 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl radical (TEMPO) - oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNF) or chitin nanofibers (ChNF) in water. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) was used to create water filters, which underwent aging tests at various temperatures over 19 weeks. Thermomechanical results show that while the addition of TCNF and ChNF improves the mechanical performance of PLA-based filters in dry conditions, it has the opposite effect after exposure to water. The impact of prolonged water exposure on Young's modulus and toughness was more significant in biocomposites than in unmodified PLA filters. The TCNF/PLA and ChNF/PLA filters saw a substantial ∼10 °C drop in glass transition temperature (Tg) after 3 weeks, while pure PLA remained nearly unaffected for up to 7 weeks. The mechanical tests allowed to estimate the service life of the 3D printed filters using the Arrhenius model. It was shown that the TCNF/PLA and ChNF/PLA filters can be utilized at room temperature water for up to 8 and 5 months, respectively, until they lose 50 % of their initial ability to resist deformation. In the same conditions, PLA filters can serve for up to 3.5 years. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of considering the degradation behaviour of biocomposites when developing sustainable materials for water treatment applications.