Investigation Influence of Styrene Butadiene Rubber on Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene Composite for 3D Printing Filaments

Abstract

The increasing amount of tire waste has become a global environmental problem due to its non-biodegradable nature and potential to pollute the air, soil, and water. One solution is to recycle the tire waste into Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) as a filler in polymer composites for 3D printing filaments. This study aims to analyze the effect of adding SBR on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of Polypropylene (PP) composites. The methods used included extrusion and filament molding with variations in SBR mass fraction: 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. Density testing, tensile testing, thermal analysis, and morphological observation were conducted. The results show that theoretically, the density of the composite increases with the addition of SBR, but in practice, the density decreases due to the formation of voids. The increase in porosity also affects the mechanical properties. The tensile tests show an 8.8% increase in the tensile strength with a 5% addition of SBR, but a significant decrease with 10% and 15% additions due to the particle agglomeration and poor interfacial adhesion. The thermal stability decreases slightly with the addition of SBR, as seen from the earlier degradation and increased post-Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA) residue. The surface morphology becomes rougher with an increase in the SBR fraction, affecting the quality of the 3D prints. It can be concluded that the addition of up to 5% SBR improves the mechanical properties, whereas further increases in the fraction result in a decline in the material performance. This study demonstrates the potential for utilizing tire waste in the production of PP/SBR composites for 3D printing applications with the necessary formulation and process optimization.