Polybutylene succinate/lignin composites with tunable optical, mechanical, and thermal properties based on fractionation treatment.

The inherent heterogeneity, poor compatibility with polymers, and dark color of lignin limit its application in composites. In this study, original lignin (OL) was fractionated sequentially using four green organic solvents to obtain lignin fractions with different chemical structures. These well-defined lignin fractions were then blended with polybutylene succinate (PBS) to fabricate biocomposites.

Fluorescent Polylactic acid composite incorporating lignin-based carbon quantum dots for sustainable 4D printing applications.

Fluorescent 4D printing materials, as innovative materials that combine fluorescent characteristics with 4D printing technology, have attracted widespread interest and research. In this study, green lignin-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were used as the fluorescent module, and renewable poly(propylene carbonate) polyurethane (PPCU) was used for toughening. A new low-cost fluorescent polylactic acid (PLA) composite filament for 4D printing was developed using a simple melt extrusion method.

Effect of Stabilizers and Thermoplastic Polyurethane on the Properties of Three-Dimensional Printed Photochromic Wood Flour/Polylactic Acid Composites.

This study was aimed at investigating the photofatigue resistance and mechanical properties of photochromic wood-plastic composites using a stabilizer complex-AH (antioxidant 1010 and hindered amine light stabilizer HALS 770)-with different contents of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which was prepared by the melt-blending extrusion process and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Photofatigue resistance, mechanical property, microtopography, and thermal analyses of 3D printed samples were performed. The results showed that the difference in surface color of composites improved by 26.

Design of sustainable 3D printable polylactic acid composites with high lignin content.

In this study, we report the development of a sustainable polymer system with 50 wt% lignin content, suitable for additive manufacturing and high value-added utilization of lignin. The plasticized polylactic acid (PLA) was incorporated with lignin to develop the bendable and malleable green composites with excellent 3D printing adaptability. The biocomposites exhibit increases of 765.

4D printing light-driven actuator with lignin photothermal conversion module.

Light-responsive shape memory polymers are attractive as they can be activated through remote and spatially-controlled light. In this work, 4D printing of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites with a near-infrared light-responsive was achieved by using the simple melt blending method and adding 3 wt% of lignin. Lignin with a conjugated structure was used as the photothermal conversion module.

3D printing with high content of lignin enabled by introducing polyurethane.

The efficient utilization of lignin in 3D printing had attracted increasing attention using this abundant and eco-friendly material. However, the large-scale utilization of lignin in 3D printing remains a great challenge due to its inherent brittleness and non-thermoplasticity. In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was introduced to regulate the rheological properties of lignin for 3D printing.

Effect of amorphous cellulose on the deformation behavior of cellulose composites: molecular dynamics simulation.

This study was aimed at predicting and enhancing the properties of the blend, as well as exploring the mechanism, of a polylactic acid (PLA)/amorphous cellulose composite system through molecular characterization. The static properties of the amorphous cellulose/PLA blend model and the mechanical response of the material under uniaxial tension were studied by molecular dynamics simulation to establish the structure-property relationship. PLA and cellulose showed poor miscibility, the change in the compatibility of the mixture can be attributed to the hydrogen bond interaction between the cellulose and PLA functional groups.

Three-Dimensional-Printed Shape Memory Biomass Composites for Thermal-Responsive Devices.

In this study, unique three-dimensional (3D)-printed shape memory biomass composites were prepared by the melt blending and extrusion of polyurethane, polycaprolactone (PCL), and wood flour (WF) with adjustable contents. The addition content of PCL was used to adjust the shape memory transition temperature and improve the shape fixing rate of composites. The crystallization, thermal, mechanical, and shape memory properties of different composites were investigated.

Interfacial Adhesion of Polylactic Acid on Cellulose Surface: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

Interfacial bonding and adhesion mechanisms are important in determining the final properties of the polymer composite. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been used to characterize the interfacial structure and adhesion behavior of crystalline cellulose planes in contact with polylactic acid. The structure of the PLA at the interface exhibits a shape that can accommodate the structure of the cellulose surface.

Preparation and Characterization of 3D Printed PLA-Based Conductive Composites Using Carbonaceous Fillers by Masterbatch Melting Method.

This study was aimed at improving the conductivity of polylactic acid (PLA)-based composites by incorporating carbonaceous fillers. The composites with the addition of graphene nanoplatelets (rGO) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by the masterbatch melting method in order to improve the dispersion of the two kinds of nano-fillers. The results showed that, with the addition of 9 wt % rGO, the volume electrical resistivity of the composite reached the minimum electrical resistance of 10 Ω·m, at which point the conductive network in the composites was completely formed.

Mechanical, Thermal, and Shape Memory Properties of Three-Dimensional Printing Biomass Composites.

In this study, a series of heat-induced shape memory composites was prepared by the hot-melt extrusion and three-dimensional (3D) printing of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) using wood flour (WF) with different contents of EPDM--MAH. The mechanical properties, microtopography, thermal property analysis, and heat-induced shape memory properties of the composites were examined. The results showed that, when the EPDM--MAH content was 4%, the tensile elongation and tensile strength of the composites reached the maximum value.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity of Polylactic Acid (PLA)-Based Biocomposites by Incorporation of Nano-Graphite Fabricated with Fused Deposition Modeling.

The aim of the study was to improve the electrical and thermal conductivity of the polylactic acid/wood flour/thermoplastic polyurethane composites by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The results showed that, when the addition amount of nano-graphite reached 25 pbw, the volume resistivity of the composites decreased to 10⁸ Ω·m, which was a significant reduction, indicating that the conductive network was already formed. It also had good thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, and thermal stability.