Page 7 - MSAM-4-1

Materials Science in

Additive Manufacturing

REVIEW ARTICLE
A review on development of eco-friendly natural

fiber-reinforced composite filaments for 3D
printing: Fabrication and characteristics

Raviduth Ramful*

Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, has revolutionized
the modern manufacturing world by providing comprehensive benefits in terms
of mass customization, automation, design optimization, quick prototyping, and
reduced lead times among other factors. Given the increased popularity, rapid
development, and implementation of AM technologies in numerous engineering
applications, new methods to enhance the AM process for improved efficiency
and to attain sustainability goals are being considered. One approach to achieve
sustainability in AM is by considering greener input materials such as natural fiber-
reinforced composite filaments (NFRCFs) with lower embodied energy. This review
focuses on the latest advancements made in the research and development of
advanced NFRCFs for the AM process. In the first section, the rationale of using
*Corresponding author:
Raviduth Ramful natural fibers in modern NFRCFs is outlined, followed by a description of the key
(r.ramful@uom.ac.mu) stages of their fabrication process involving the pre-processing of fibers and the
Citation: Ramful R. A review addition of plasticizer to enhance their performance. In the second part of this review,
on development of eco-friendly a detailed overview of the typical fibers and matrices used in the development of
natural fiber-reinforced composite NFRCFs is provided, and some of the typical challenges encountered when utilizing
filaments for 3D printing:
Fabrication and characteristics. natural fibers, such as their lack of homogeneity, are highlighted. The fiber-matrix
Mater Sci Add Manuf. interaction and corresponding properties are further discussed, and means to
2025;4(1):8533. achieve homogeneous NFRC filament are outlined. Finally, the degradability
doi: 10.36922/msam.8533
characteristics and recycling methods for NFRCF are discussed, and further means to
Received: January 14, 2025 optimize their performance for increased usage in AM and related applications are
Revised: February 1, 2025 presented. To address and overcome the foregoing limitations posed by present-day
NFRCF, further research for breakthrough solutions is still required. Further research
Accepted: February 7, 2025
and development in this area is a prerequisite to attain sustainability in AM, which
Published Online: February 27, will also promote the usage and integration of sustainable AM parts into a wider
2025 range of engineering applications in our modern society.
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). This
is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Natural fiber-reinforced composite filament; 3D printing; Natural fibers; PLA
Creative Commons Attribution matrix; Mechanical performance; Biodegradable
License, permitting distribution, and
reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience 1. Introduction
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in The general method of conventional manufacturing is at its turning point in time
published maps and institutional with the advent of new manufacturing technologies in line with Industry 4.0, whereby
affiliations.

Volume 4 Issue 1 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/msam.8533