Structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of 3D printed L‐CNC/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites

3D printing has been extensively applied in human-related activities, and therefore the 3D printed nanocomposites became more popular and important in end-use products. In the present study, we use lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystal (L-CNC) to reinforce 3D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and explore the effect of L-CNC on the structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of 3D printed L-CNC/ABS nanocomposites. The results indicate that the addition of L-CNC foams the ABS and decreases the density of 3D printed L-CNC/ABS nanocomposites. However, the tensile modulus and storage modulus increase by adding 4% L-CNC. The thermal stability of 3D printed L-CNC/ABS nanocomposites is also significantly improved as indicated by an increase in the maximum degradation temperature. The morphology of the nanocomposites reveals good dispersion and interfacial adhesion between L-CNC and ABS. The finding indicates that the 3D printed nanocomposites become lighter and stiffer with addition of L-CNC, which will have great potential to be applied in end-use products. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45082.