Effects of Selected Printing Parameters on the Fire Properties of 3D-Printed Neat Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Wood/PLA Composites

Abstract

The effects of selected printing parameters on the fire properties of additively produced composites from neat polylactic acid (PLA) and wood/PLA filaments were investigated. The reaction to fire of the 3D-printed specimens was tested according to the ISO 5660-1 cone calorimeter test method. The results showed that the properties of the specimens when exposed to fire were significantly affected by the incorporation of wood flour into the PLA filament. It was also interesting that PLA specimens had much better reactions to fire than the wood/PLA specimens. Time to ignition was found to be much longer in the 3D-printed PLA specimens. Although the maximal heat release rate was a little higher in the PLA than the wood/PLA specimens, the duration of HRR was longer for the wood/PLA specimens. The initial mass of the specimens was smaller in the wood/PLA composites, but during the radiant heat exposure the mass typically decreased slower than in the PLA specimens.