Use of marble waste for application as a load of PLA filaments for application in 3D printing

Abstract

The research aims to develop a composite using marble waste as a filler in poly-lactic acid (PLA), for application as a 3D printing filament. The marble residue was ground in a high-energy mill, and its size distribution was characterized in a Dynamic Light Scattering test. The PLA/marble composite was synthesized with dichloromethane solvent, obtaining a homogeneous film with good dispersion, with the potential to obtain a filament with better mechanical properties, mitigating environmental impacts. The marble residue had a particle size of 1-22 µm, crystalline phases of magnesium and calcium carbonate, showing the composite has the potential to produce filaments for additive manufacturing.