Enhanced PLA/PEG filaments for sustainable high-performance 3D printing using PLA synthesized from commercial lactic acid.

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Title: Enhanced PLA/PEG filaments for sustainable high-performance 3D printing using PLA synthesized from commercial lactic acid.
Authors: Cuervo, Laura V.1,2 (AUTHOR) lcuervog@unal.edu.co, Rojas, Oscar E.2 (AUTHOR), Sanchez, Luis E.1 (AUTHOR), Herrera, Liz K.1 (AUTHOR), Serrato, Juan C.2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Materials Science. Dec2025, Vol. 60 Issue 46, p23155-23175. 21p.
Subjects: Polyethylene glycol, Polylactic acid, Thermal properties, Fibers, Biodegradable materials, Three-dimensional printing, Mechanical behavior of materials
Abstract: Additive manufacturing has incorporated renewable polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA), but its low mechanical and thermal properties require the addition of 20% to 40% w/w of additives, which can reduce tensile strength by up to 60% and material degradation temperatures by 10 to 20 °C. This research seeks to reduce the use of commercial PLA additives by developing 3D printing filaments that incorporate a compatible plasticizer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and synthesized PLA (PLA-R), in a lesser extent. The study presents the synthesis of filaments for fused filament fabrication (FFF) using a blend of commercial PLA, PLA-R obtained from 90% pure lactic acid, and PEG. The study focused on the evaluation of three blend ratios: these are pelletized and extruded using a single-screw extruder to produce filaments with a target diameter of 1.75 mm. Mechanical and thermal performance were evaluated using tensile testing and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The optimal formulation contains 80% commercial PLA, 15% PEG, and 5% PLA-R, resulting in a consistent filament diameter. This formulation was used to fabricate Dogbone samples on a desktop 3D printer using FFF. These samples were subsequently analyzed using tensile testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), demonstrating their improved properties and suitability for additive manufacturing. Development of PLA-Based Filament for 3D Printing, Divided into Four Stages – (1) Ring Opening Polymerization of PLA-R; (2) Development of polymer blends; (3) Obtaining Filament by Extrusion; 4) 3D Printing by Fused Filament Fabrication Method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Materials Science is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Enhanced PLA/PEG filaments for sustainable high-performance 3D printing using PLA synthesized from commercial lactic acid.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cuervo%2C+Laura+V%2E%22">Cuervo, Laura V.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lcuervog@unal.edu.co</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rojas%2C+Oscar+E%2E%22">Rojas, Oscar E.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sanchez%2C+Luis+E%2E%22">Sanchez, Luis E.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Herrera%2C+Liz+K%2E%22">Herrera, Liz K.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Serrato%2C+Juan+C%2E%22">Serrato, Juan C.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Materials+Science%22">Journal of Materials Science</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 60 Issue 46, p23155-23175. 21p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polyethylene+glycol%22">Polyethylene glycol</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polylactic+acid%22">Polylactic acid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermal+properties%22">Thermal properties</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fibers%22">Fibers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biodegradable+materials%22">Biodegradable materials</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Three-dimensional+printing%22">Three-dimensional printing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mechanical+behavior+of+materials%22">Mechanical behavior of materials</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Additive manufacturing has incorporated renewable polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA), but its low mechanical and thermal properties require the addition of 20% to 40% w/w of additives, which can reduce tensile strength by up to 60% and material degradation temperatures by 10 to 20 °C. This research seeks to reduce the use of commercial PLA additives by developing 3D printing filaments that incorporate a compatible plasticizer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and synthesized PLA (PLA-R), in a lesser extent. The study presents the synthesis of filaments for fused filament fabrication (FFF) using a blend of commercial PLA, PLA-R obtained from 90% pure lactic acid, and PEG. The study focused on the evaluation of three blend ratios: these are pelletized and extruded using a single-screw extruder to produce filaments with a target diameter of 1.75 mm. Mechanical and thermal performance were evaluated using tensile testing and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The optimal formulation contains 80% commercial PLA, 15% PEG, and 5% PLA-R, resulting in a consistent filament diameter. This formulation was used to fabricate Dogbone samples on a desktop 3D printer using FFF. These samples were subsequently analyzed using tensile testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), demonstrating their improved properties and suitability for additive manufacturing. Development of PLA-Based Filament for 3D Printing, Divided into Four Stages – (1) Ring Opening Polymerization of PLA-R; (2) Development of polymer blends; (3) Obtaining Filament by Extrusion; 4) 3D Printing by Fused Filament Fabrication Method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Materials Science is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1007/s10853-025-11532-y
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 23155
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Polyethylene glycol
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Polylactic acid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermal properties
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fibers
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      – SubjectFull: Biodegradable materials
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Three-dimensional printing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mechanical behavior of materials
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Enhanced PLA/PEG filaments for sustainable high-performance 3D printing using PLA synthesized from commercial lactic acid.
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            NameFull: Cuervo, Laura V.
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            NameFull: Sanchez, Luis E.
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              Text: Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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