Characterization of in-House-Developed Mn-ZnO-Reinforced Polyethylene: A Sustainable Approach for Developing Fused Filament Fabrication-Based Filament

This study outlines a sustainable development of Mn-ZnO-reinforced low density polyethylene (LDPE)-based feedstock filament, using twin screw extrusion (TSE) process, for fused filament fabrication-based additive manufacturing technology. Mn-ZnO-based reinforcement, known for its functional properties, has been utilized to tune the thermo-mechanical, morphological, and piezoelectric characteristics of LPDE. Functional feedstock filaments have been manufactured by varying twin screw compounder processing parameters such as barrel temperature (120, 130, and 140 °C), screw torque (0.15, 0.20, and 0.20 N.m) and forced loading (5, 10 and 15 kg). The results of the study suggested that the better mechanical properties of feedstock filament were attained at 140 °C barrel temperature, 0.25 N.m screw torque, and 10kg forced loading in TSE. The result of the tensile properties is supported by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), piezoelectric property (D33 measurement), shape memory effect and differential scanning calorimetric analysis.