Quantifying Mechanical Abrasion of AgNP Nanocomposites used in 3D Printing: Influence of AgNP content on abrasion products and rate of microplastic production

Published

June 7, 2024

Author(s)

Joana Sipe, William Berger, Nathan Bossa, Melissa Chernick, Keana C. K. Scott, Alan Kennedy, Treye Thomas, Christine Ogilvie, Mark Wiesner

Abstract

Nanomaterials are used in polymer composites to enhance plastic products' properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are added to composites for their antimicrobial and fungicidal properties. Polyethylene terephthalate glycol polymer (PETG) AgNP composite test objects were 3D printed using AgNP composite filaments with AgNP mass fraction of 0.5 % and 2 %. These composite test objects were then abraded using NIST SP 1200-30 abrasion protocol to find the microplastic (MP) abrasion rates of these nanocomposites over various power inputs.1 Results showed that the abrasion rate of composite depended on the polymer matrix rather than on the AgNP content in the product. However, AgNPs affected the size and physico-chemical properties and surface qualities of particles produced. Surface attached and protuberant AgNPs were found on the abraded particles. As the mass fraction of nanomaterial increased in the composite, the size range of abraded composite particles produced during abrasion decreased.

Citation

Environmental Science Nano

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00888f

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Keywords

microplastics, nanoplastics, nanocomposites, PETG, AgNPs, abrasion

Citation

Sipe, J. , Berger, W. , Bossa, N. , Chernick, M. , Scott, K. , Kennedy, A. , Thomas, T. , Ogilvie, C. and Wiesner, M. (2024), Quantifying Mechanical Abrasion of AgNP Nanocomposites used in 3D Printing: Influence of AgNP content on abrasion products and rate of microplastic production, Environmental Science Nano, [online], https://doi.org/10.1039/d3en00888f, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=956609 (Accessed June 30, 2024)