Prepration of bicomponent and blended HDPE / LDPE fibers via melt spinning method and their usage in 3D printers

Thermoplastic polymer have been broadly used at 3D printers in recent years since they can be reformed and healed the deformations on them easly by heat treatments. First, thermplastic polymers are spun into fiber structure via melt spinning method and then 3D objects are produced from these fibers via 3D printing process. In this regards, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) as thermoplastic polmers were melt spun into fiber with various construction including neat, blend and bicomponent fiber structures. Chemical, crystalline microstructural analysis, thermal stabilities, and mechanical properties of the produced fibers were investigated. In order to observe their 3D printable properties, 3D samples were produced from the prepared fibers. Bicomponent LDPE / HDPE fibers were the most suitable fiber to produced 3D sample at the lab scale 3D printer in this study. 3D honeycomb structure was produced from this fiber and its compression strength property was investigated by comparing as prepared PLA honeycomb structure. Compression strength test results of the honeycomb sample produced from LDPE / HDPE bicomponent fibers were close to the PLA sample. It was concluded that LDPE / HDPE bicomponent fibers can be used as the thermoplastic material at the 3D printer as an alternative to PLA which is extensively used at 3D printers.