Influence of waste glass powder in PETG based composites fabricated through 3D-printing

This study investigates the development and characterization of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) composites reinforced with waste glass powder (WGP) for 3D printing applications. The incorporation of WGP aims to enhance sustainability by reducing glass waste while evaluating its impact on the material's chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties. PETG/WGP composites with varying compositions (0–20 wt.% WGP) were fabricated using a single-screw extruder to produce filaments, which were subsequently 3D-printed into test specimens of tensile, flexural, and Shore D hardness tests according to ASTM standards D638-IV, D790, and D-2240, respectively. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including FTIR, XRD, TGA, tensile, flexural, and Shore D hardness tests, were performed to assess material performance. The results indicate that the inclusion of WGP slightly improves the thermal stability and significantly enhances hardness by 22.58% at 10 wt.% WGP. However, at higher filler content (20 wt.% WGP), a 34.37% reduction in ultimate tensile strength and a 43.89% decrease in flexural strength are observed compared to neat PETG. This decline is attributed to inadequate interfacial bonding between the polymer matrix and WGP, stress concentrations caused by the irregular morphology of the WGP particles, along with increased brittleness of the composite. While the study focused on the potential of WGP as a sustainable reinforcement, further optimization is required to improve its mechanical properties for practical applications.