Biobased Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials for Construction 3D-Printing

Abstract

Construction 3D-printing (C3DP) provides new opportunities to improve the mechanical properties of biobased fiber-reinforced construction materials. The extrusion process used in many C3DP systems has been shown to induce fiber alignment along the printing path, which can improve the strength of composites in certain loading directions. Several studies have demonstrated this with synthetic short fiber-reinforced C3DP materials; however, very few studies have considered the addition of biobased fibers in extrusion-based fabrication processes. Biobased fibers are known to have lower environmental impacts and cost when compared to synthetic fibers, but their tensile strength tends to be lower. Thus, the use of C3DP with biobased fibers is a prospective solution to improve the mechanical properties of these sustainable construction materials. This review evaluates the performance of 3D-printed fiber-reinforced construction materials in terms of strength, cost, and embodied environmental impact. Using a material selection process to compare between the selected properties, the most proficient biobased fiber mix designs for C3DP are then identified based on fiber type, fiber content, and binder type. By establishing a set of criteria for the performance of biobased fiber reinforced C3DP materials, future research can be compared to these results to work towards more sustainable, high-performance biomaterials for construction applications.