Hybrid toughening effect of flax fiber and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer in 3D‐printed polylactic acid composites

Abstract Flax fiber has emerged as a promising, eco‐friendly alternative to traditional synthetic reinforcement in polymer composites. However, manufacturing biocomposites using three‐dimensional (3D) printing technology is typically accompanied by significant processing challenges and weak product performance under dynamic loading conditions. This study aims to unlock the potential of 3D‐printed polylactic acid (PLA) by incorporating chemically modified chopped flax fibers and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer to improve impact strength and processability. To achieve this, we employed the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique to prepare composite specimens for the study. The crystallization behavior, tensile and impact properties, as well as the fracture behavior of the composites were investigated. The findings suggest that our approach stands out because it not only facilitates the challenging task of 3D printing PLA with fiber additives of high weight fraction and high aspect ratio but also results in a remarkable 120% enhancement in impact strength and an around 31.2% increase in tensile elongation compared to neat PLA, without compromising the elastic modulus. Highlights Flax fibers were modified through alkalization and silanization. Alkalization significantly enhanced printing quality. Silanization reduced fiber attrition and doubled the fiber aspect ratio. TPU particles facilitated the 3D printing of biocomposites. For the first time, the hybrid strategy doubled the impact strength of PLA.