Abstract
As one of the fastest-growing additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, fused deposition modelling (FDM) shows great potential in printing natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFRC). However, several challenges, such as low mechanical properties and difficulty in printing, need to be overcome. Therefore, the effort to improve the NFRC for use in AM has been accelerating in recent years. This review attempts to summarise the current approaches of using NFRC as a feeder for AM. The effects of fibre treatments, composite preparation methods and addition of compatibilizer agents were analysed and discussed. Additionally, current methods of producing feeders from NFRCs were reviewed and discussed. Mechanical property of printed part was also dependent on the printing parameters, and thus the effects of printing temperature, layer height, infill and raster angle were discussed, and the best parameters reported by other researchers were identified. Following that, an overview of the mechanical properties of these composites as reported by various researchers was provided. Next, the use of optimisation techniques for NFRCs was discussed and analysed. Lastly, the review provided a critical discussion on the overall topic, identified all research gaps present in the use of NFRC for AM processes, and to overcome future challenges.
Highlights
In recent years, the scientific and industrial communities have begun to acknowledge the need for environmentally friendly processes, materials and waste management
The trend in the industry has begun to shift from using conventional plastics, which are mostly non-biodegradable, to using bio-composites which depend on the polymer matrix that can be biodegradable or carbon neutral
Most plant-based natural fibres used for natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFRC) are lignocellulosic, in which the major components of the fibres are cellulose and lignin with small amounts of other constituents, such as pectin, wax and moisture, in which the composition vary depending on the source of fibre
Summary
The scientific and industrial communities have begun to acknowledge the need for environmentally friendly processes, materials and waste management. The trend in the industry has begun to shift from using conventional plastics, which are mostly non-biodegradable, to using bio-composites which depend on the polymer matrix that can be biodegradable or carbon neutral. Conventional methods of manufacturing remove material from a large piece of stock, which is known as subtractive manufacturing These processes are sometimes complicated and time-consuming for complex parts as many parameters need to be considered, such as tool speed, draft angles and tooling types. The ability to use NFRCs in AM proves to be beneficial as it can greatly speed up the prototyping process when working with NFRCs. As compared to conventional processes like the injection moulding, a mould needs to be produced before the prototype can be tested. The mechanical properties reported by various researchers who use NFRCs in AM are discussed, followed by an overview of how optimisation methods are employed to optimise the mechanical properties of these composites
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