Design and fabrication of a waste plastic filament extruder

Abstract

Plastic pollution causes serious environmental issues and endangers the health of humans and animals in both land and aquatic  environments. Despite the fact that Nigeria produces hundreds of tons of plastic waste every day, a greater proportion still finds its way  back into the ecosystem because only a small portion of it is recycled. Nigeria's growing production of single-use plastics and careless  disposal of plastic waste into the land and ocean are the main causes of the country's growing plastic pollution problems.. For this  reason, recycling and reusing plastics is necessary to lessen the harmful effects that plastic utilization has on both human and the  environment.. Plastics can be recycled into filaments used in 3D printing also known as additive manufacturing. In this study, a plastic  filament extrusion machine for waste plastic was designed and developed with the aim of recycling high-density polyethene, thereby  lessening the negative environmental effects that come with disposing of it.. The basic components of the extruder comprised of a  hopper, screw, barrel, die, and motor system. Temperature, oxygen, and shear stress all cause the plastics to deteriorate during the  extrusion of plastics for filament.. Thus, this study examined the impact of different extrusion temperatures on the filament quality made  from high-density polyethylene polyethene (HDPE). The plastic pellets melt and flow into the die as a result of friction between them and  the barrel surface and the heat generated by the heating bands. Plastic filament was extruded with a combination of optimal pellet  compression, temperatures between 150 and 230 degrees Celsius, and a gradual increase in the pressure of the molten pellets inside the  barrel.. Melted plastic adhered itself to the barrel at low temperatures but turned to char at high temperature. Consequently, in order to  produce quality 3D filament using HDPE, it is imperative to maintain acceptable temperature conditions. Based on the results, the  extruder produced excellent filament suitable for 3D printing at 200 oC. The results of this study emphasize the significance of  temperature regulation during the extrusion process in order to guarantee the intended filament quality.