Preparation and Properties of Tobacco Leaf Residue/PLA Composite Filaments for 3D Printing
Hebei China Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang 050051, China
| Abstract: | To achieve high-value utilization of tobacco leaf residues after aqueous and ethanol extraction, this study used tobacco leaf residue powder as filler and polylactic acid (PLA) as matrix to prepare composite filaments suitable for fused deposition modeling (FDM) via melt blending and extrusion molding. The effects of 1, 3, and 5 wt% addition contents on material properties were investigated. The results showed that the tensile strength of the composites decreased significantly compared with neat PLA (about 54 MPa), being approximately 21, 18, and 22 MPa for the 1%, 3%, and 5% groups, respectively, with the lowest value in the 3% group. This indicates that the mechanical properties are jointly affected by physical structural factors such as filler dispersion, interfacial bonding, and interlayer fusion during printing. FTIR spectra showed that the main characteristic peaks before and after compositing were basically consistent, with no obvious new peaks or significant shifts, indicating that the tobacco leaf residue and PLA were mainly combined by physical blending. TGA results indicated that the material had good thermal stability below 300 °C and could meet the FDM processing window of 180-220 °C; moreover, 1–5 wt% addition had no significant effect on the thermal degradation behavior. In bending tests, the 5% group exhibited better ductility and a relatively higher ultimate load, while the 1% and 3% groups underwent brittle fracture earlier, indicating a non-monotonic relationship between addition content and mechanical properties. In summary, the tobacco leaf residue/PLA composite filaments possess printability and thermal processing stability and are currently suitable for non-load-bearing, low-load, decorative, and cultural-creative 3D-printed products. Their comprehensive performance can be further improved through interfacial modification, powder dispersion, and printing process optimization. |
| Keywords: | Tobacco Leaf Residue; Polylactic Acid (PLA); FDM 3D Printing; Composite Filament; High-Value Utilization |
| DOI: | 10.57237/j.mater.2026.02.001 |
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Received: 30 September 2026
Accepted: 24 October 2026
Published Online: 2 November 2026
Funding
| 1. | The “Research and Application Project on Low-Temperature Continuous Phase Change Extraction of Volatile Tar Oil from Natural Tobacco Leaves” (Project No. HBZY2024D001) |
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