FABRICATION AND ANALYSIS OF BIOBASED COMPOSITES WITH MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE DEVELOPED BY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Author

Md Sakhawat Hossain, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2025

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Nilufar, Sabrina

Abstract

Stereolithography (SLA) is one of the most widely used additive manufacturing technologies, due to its widespread use in industrial and research applications. It can print with higher resolution and provides a better surface finish. Its high precision also allows it to print complex structures. Therefore, the use of SLA is increasing rapidly. Acrylate resins are predominantly used in SLA technology; however, the petroleum-based content of these resins makes them vulnerable to environmental degradation. To address this issue, a biobased resin has been developed that has received significant attention due to its biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and tailorable properties. Biobased resin is a type of resin derived from renewable biological resources. It can be derived from plants, algae, or other organic materials. Some common biobased resins are cellulose-based resin, polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), and acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO). In this study, we characterized the mechanical, morphological, crystallographic, and swelling performance of the biobased resin developed from PEGDA and AESO. To further enhance the material properties, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was incorporated as filler material. Microcrystalline cellulose is a biocompatible material derived from natural sources, such as wood, pulp, or cotton, and is abundant on Earth. The results showed that adding MCC into the neat resin improved the tensile strength by 38.86%, from 3.5 MPa to 4.86 MPa, while Young’s modulus increased by 10.33%, from 16.25 MPa to 17.93 MPa. Morphological analysis proved that the addition of MCCs provides better surface finishing. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study indicated that the inclusion of MCC results in a decrease in the crystal size and peak intensity, while the peak width increases. The contact angle analysis offers insights into surface wettability, while the swelling behavior indicates the material's water absorption capacity. Results showed that the mass increased from 6.41% to 13.71% with the addition of MCCs over a 30-day period. These findings demonstrated the potential of this biobased resin for applications in biomedical engineering and tissue engineering.