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The strength and ductility of glass fibre reinforced 3D-printed polypropylene

F.A. Veer1, F. Setaki1, A.C. Riemslag1, P. Sakkas2

1 Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
2 The New Raw, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (www.thenewraw.org)

The possibility of using a mix of recycled polypropylene (PP) with new glass fibre reinforced polypropylene as a materials source for 3D printed engineering components is investigated. The strength and elongation to fracture are determined for various grades of material and in relation to the print direction. The measured values are compared with literature values for these materials in an as new condition. It is shown that the use of recycled PP degrades the material properties. PP recycled from house hold waste has significantly worse properties than PP recycled from industrial waste.

The technical possibilities for 3D printed engineering components based on this reused waste material are discussed.

Key words: Strength, recycling, polypropylene, 3D printing