Abstract
Cork powder received as a byproduct from local industries is valorized through the development of composite materials suitable for fused deposition modeling (FDM). For this purpose, a polymeric matrix of acrylonitrile–styrene–butyl acrylate (ASA) is used due to its good mechanical resistance and weather resistance properties. Prior to the manufacturing of the composites, the cork particles are characterized and modified by surface polymerization, creating a layer of poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA). Then, filaments for FDM are prepared by solvent casting and extrusion from ASA and composites with unmodified cork (ASA + C) and PBA-modified cork (ASA + Cm). PBA is one of the polymers present in the structure of ASA, which increases the compatibility between the cork particles and the polymer matrix. This is evidenced by evaluating the mechanical properties of the composites and examining their fracture surface by scanning electron microscopy. The analysis of the thermal properties shows that the developed composites also present enhanced insulating properties.
Highlights
The production of new sustainable materials is one promising trend that has caught the attention of science and industry due to the many environmental benefits and the use of resources or even waste at low cost
A summary of the mechanical properties dissected from these curves (Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break), including statistical analysis, are summarized in the form of box plots in (Figure 4a−c). These results show that the surface modification of cork contributed to enhance the mechanical properties of the composites since acrylonitrile−styrene−butyl acrylate (ASA) + Cm exhibits a statistically higher Young’s modulus and tensile strength than ASA + C
This research evidences the possibility of using cork particles as an additive in the development of composites suitable for their manufacturing via fused deposition modeling (FDM)
Summary
The production of new sustainable materials is one promising trend that has caught the attention of science and industry due to the many environmental benefits and the use of resources or even waste at low cost. Cork has been used for many centuries in different applications due to its unique properties such as extremely low density, high acoustic and thermal insulation behavior, high friction coefficient, high resilience and a Poisson coefficient of virtually 0.5−7 For instance, cork is used in sandwich structures as a structural material to minimize the weight of panels and provide good insulating properties. These panels can tolerate loads with a high impact, competing even with glass fibers, being a more sustainable alternative, which makes them attractive in many different applications ranging from civil to aerospace engineering, the automotive sector, or defense. Its acoustic and anti-vibration properties make it attractive for the design of cabins for planes or turbines or joints in submarines.[8−10]
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