Biomasa para producción de composites de base polimérica y su implementación en fabricación aditiva

Abstract

In a context of an increasingly environmental awareness, the demand for use of sustainable materials is providing new research opportunities around the usage of renewable materials with natural origin. This approach fits with the circular economy concept, where materials at the end of their lifecycle are reused within a new manufacturing chain, thus bearing a new lifecycle. In this regard, biomass implementation as a material, even intended for structural purposes, has drum up recent scientific interest. Biomass, matter coming from vegetal reign, is mainly composed by biopolymers among which highlight cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. These biopolymers constitute the so called lignocellulosic fraction. There are many references in bibliography about uses of the lignocellulose present in biomass, particularly after its addition to polymeric matrices in the form of composites. Nevertheless, biomass purification processes are expensive and non-eco-friendly. On the other hand, additive manufacturing techniques overcome known disadvantages of conventional subtractive manufacturing, thus contributing to the circular economy concept, since they allow optimising manufacturing stages and material waste. In this review the most recent scientific and technological considerations about polymer based composites including biomass, particularly those suitable for additive manufacturing, have been gone over. It is also posed the question about purifying the lignocellulosic fraction or direct use of agrowaste, among other natural materials, without pre-treatment or applying simple compatibilisation procedures, thus assuring the better adhesion between biomass and polymers. The review concludes highlighting those recent works related to the usage of these composite materials in additive manufacturing