Development of a Polypropylene-Based Material with Flame-Retardant Properties for 3D Printing.

In this study, a nanocomposite based on a heterophasic polypropylene copolymer containing 5 wt% of nanoclays and 3 wt% of compatibilizer was formulated via melt compounding to obtain a material suitable for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) processing with enhanced flame-retardant properties. From rheological analyses, the nanocomposite showed an important increase in the non-Newtonian behavior, and, therefore, improved FFF printability compared to the pristine PP COPO. A filament with suitable characteristics for FFF was produced using a single-screw extruder and subsequently 3D printed.