Chapter 16: 3D Printing Using Cellulose Nanoparticles

Cellulose is naturally available and the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. It is one of the main constituents of cellulosic materials, such as wood, plant fibres (flax, hemp, jute), among others. Due to its high surface properties and high aspect ratio, excellent mechanical properties, cellulose is extensively used in composite reinforcements. Cellulous nanoparticles (CNPs) can be utilized in developing cellulose nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties for various applications, including biomedical and other engineering applications. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is an emerging advanced manufacturing process widely used in key industry sectors including, but not limited to, the automotive, aerospace, electronics, construction, and biomedical fields, owing to their numerous attractive attributes in comparison with conventional or subtracting manufacturing technology. In recent years, this technology has been explored in fibre-reinforced polymeric composites, such as cellulose composites and nanocomposites. This chapter aims to investigate 3D printing as a viable fabrication method for cellulose nanoparticle-incorporated nanocomposites and compares their important mechanical properties with respect to key 3D printing factors and process parameters, including CNP properties and morphologies.