Development of additive manufacturing biofilaments from recycled high-density polyethylene and rice husks: optimization of extrusion parameters

The success of additive manufacturing technology continues to depend heavily on new material development. Recycled bioplastic materials have been found to offer an alternative choice with promising results due to their economic and environmental benefits. In fused filament fabrication technology, the unsatisfactory performance including poor adhesion between layers for many bioplastic materials derived from recycled plastics has, however, made researchers continue exploring new ways of enhancing their performance. This study presents findings on the fabrication and optimization of extrusion parameters of biofilaments from recycled high-density polyethylene and rice husks, an agricultural by-product. The process parameters identified in the filament fabrication were heater temperatures, screw speed, and the rate of fan cooling of the filament-making machine, the Composer 450, by 3Devo. Using the Taguchi design of experiment and analysis, the optimal process parameters identified for the filament fabrication were heater temperature of 220°C, screw speed of 10 rpm, and fan cooling of 30% to produce a filament of 1.63 mm thickness with a circular cross-section.