FDM 3D Printing of Polymers Containing Natural Fillers: A Review of their Mechanical Properties

As biodegradable thermoplastics are more and more penetrating the market of filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, fillers in the form of natural fibers are convenient: They have the clear advantage of reducing cost, yet retaining the filament biodegradability characteristics. In plastics that are processed through standard techniques (e.g., extrusion or injection molding), natural fibers have a mild reinforcing function, improving stiffness and strength, it is thus interesting to evaluate whether the same holds true also in the case of FDM produced components. The results analyzed in this review show that the mechanical properties of the most common materials, i.e.,…