Mechanical properties of 3D printing filament of recycled HDPE and ABS and fiberglass.

Several studies have been conducted to improve the quality of filaments used in 3D printing by manipulating various material and process parameters, including waste materials. This research aims to make high-strength 3D printing filaments by combining recycled ABS and HDPE and reinforcing them with glass fiber. The tensile strength of filaments made from ABS and HDPE and reinforced with fiberglass determines the final 3D printing product's strength. The process of making 3D printing filament using an extruder machine involves experimental methods, where the rotation speed and temperature of the extruder screw as well as the composition weight, are the key parameters. The raw materials for making 3D printing filament are HDPE and ABS recycled plastic pellets, as well as powdered glass fiber as reinforcement, mixed and fed into an extruder machine with a nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm, extrusion speed of 400 mm/minute, and temperature of 200°C. 24 3D filament samples were fabricated with different composition parameters. The filament was then measured for swell ratio and tensile testing using a tensile testing machine with ASTM D3039 testing standards. Test specimens with a composition of 85% wt HDPE, 10% wt ABS, and 5% wt GF had the best tensile strength value of 22.20 MPa. Overall, this research is a promising step towards using environmentally friendly materials for 3D printing and reducing plastic waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]