Adv. Manuf.

(2020) 8:72–81
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40436-019-00287-w

Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced

thermoplastics as filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM)
Mohd Nazri Ahmad1,2 • Mohammad Khalid Wahid1,2 • Nurul Ain Maidin1,2 •
Mohd Hidayat Ab Rahman1,2 • Mohd Hairizal Osman1,2 • Izzati Fatin Alis@Elias1

Received: 19 April 2019 / Revised: 27 November 2019 / Accepted: 3 December 2019 / Published online: 17 January 2020
 Shanghai University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract Fibers are increasingly in demand for a wide
range of polymer composite materials. This study’s pur-
pose was the development of oil palm fiber (OPF) mixed
with the thermoplastic material acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (ABS) as a composite filament for fused deposition
modeling (FDM). The mechanical properties of this com-
posite filament were then analyzed. OPF is a fiber extracted
from empty fruit bunches, which has proved to be an
excellent raw material for biocomposites. The cellulose
content of OPF is 43%–65%, and the lignin content is
13%–25%. The composite filament consists of OPF (5%,
mass fraction) in the ABS matrix. The fabrication proce-
dure included alkalinizing, drying, and crushing the OPF to
develop the composite. The OPF/ABS materials were
prepared and completely blended to acquire a mix of 250 g
of the material for the composition. Next, the FLD25 fil-
ament extrusion machine was used to form the OPF/ABS
composite into a wire. This composite filament then was
used in an FDM-based 3D printer to print the specimens.
Finally, the printed specimens were tested for mechanical
properties such as tensile and flexural strength. The results
show that the presence of OPF had increased the tensile
strength and modulus elasticity by approximately 1.9% and
1.05%, respectively. However, the flexural strength of the
OPF/ABS composite had decreased by 90.6% compared
& Mohd Nazri Ahmad
mohdnazri.ahmad@utem.edu.my
1
Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang
Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
2 facturing plastic materials. Additionally, it is the only AM
Centre for Smart System and Innovative Design, Universiti
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya,
76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
with the virgin ABS. Lastly, the most significant outcome
of the OPF/ABS composite was its suitability for printing
using the FDM method.
Keywords Natural fibers  Oil palm fiber (OPF)  Fused
deposition modeling (FDM)  3D printer  Composite
filament
1 Introduction
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has been a
prevalent technique for delivering models since the 1980s
and is quickly becoming the quickest, the most direct
approach to make custom products. AM is the overall term
for creating a product layer-by-layer [1]. AM has been one
of the most favorable methods for manufacturing compo-
nents, from prototypes to functional parts with intricate
geometries. The technique has revolutionized various
industries such as biomedical, orthodontics, aerospace,
automotive and semiconductors [2–8]. AM also has been
distinguished from traditional manufacturing methods,
such as casting and machining, by its ability to handle
intricate shapes with great flexibility and avoid waste
[7, 8]. Currently, there are many AM techniques used in
industry utilizing a CAD file of the object to be built,
including fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithog-
raphy apparatus (SLA), electron beam melting (EBM),
laminated object manufacturing (LOM), selective laser
sintering (SLS), and digital light projection (DLP) [9–14].
FDM was invented in 1989 (Stratasys Inc., Eden Prairie,
MN, USA) [15], and it has been widely used for manu-
technology that can create sparse-fill construction together
with soluble support materials. However, only

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Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastics as filament…
thermoplastics are presently used as a feedstock for FDM
[16]. The most commonly used thermoplastic material in
FDM is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), followed by
polycarbonate (PC), polylactide (PLA), polyphenylsulfone
(PPSF), and mixtures thereof [15]. With FDM, 3D plastic
parts can be built layer by layer, depositing build materials
and support materials together, both of which are heated
and extruded separately through two extrusion nozzles on
the liquefier head.
Research on the development of new composite filament
materials for FDM include wood/PLA [17], powder/nylon
[18], fiberglass/ABS [19] and carbon fibers/ABS [20].
Yusoff et al. [21] investigated the mechanical properties of
short random oil palm fibre (OPF) reinforced epoxy com-
posites. In their research, the interaction between the fiber
and matrix was observed with a scanning electron micro-
scope (SEM) micrograph to get a clear image of the vas-
cular fiber wall bonds. Ning et al. [20] added carbon fibers
(different contents and lengths) to plastic materials to form
thermoplastic matrix carbon fiber reinforced plastic
(CFRP) composites to improve the mechanical properties
of FDM-fabricated parts [18]. Sapuan and Bachtiar [22]
examined the mechanical properties of high-impact poly-
styrene reinforced with coconut fibers. In the current study,
high-impact polystyrene composites were formed mixed
with five different fiber weight percentages. Condensation
resistance and press release are techniques employed to
produce composites. The evaluation of the composite’s
properties shows that increasing the palm fiber content
within the high-impact polystyrene’s network demonstrates
better modulus and quality.
Oil palms are one of the most valuable trees in Malaysia,
Indonesia and Thailand. The economic life span of an oil
palm is approximately 25 years, and it contributes a sig-
nificant amount of agricultural waste in Malaysia. The
estimated height of an oil palm is 7–13 m and has a
diameter of 45–65 cm at approximately 1.5 m above
ground level and is a commercial crop in Malaysia.
Developing other applications for palm fiber requires it to
be extracted from the waste using the retting process. OPF
contains a high cellulose content and has the potential as a
source of natural fiber, but this application contributes only
a small percentage of total biomass production [23].
Due to the low strength and ductility of pure thermo-
plastic materials, there is a critical need to improve these
mechanical properties of pure ABS so that the printed parts
or products could be used directly in areas such as aero-
space, automotive, or consumer products. Adding rein-
forced material like OPFs into the ABS resin forms an OPF
thermoplastic composite, enhancing the parts’ mechanical
properties such as toughness and strength. Synthetic plastic
materials cannot be eliminated from the environment,
leading to endless accumulation and serious pollution.
73
During the last forty to fifty years, the manufacture of
synthetic composites comprised of fine fibers in various
plastics (polymers) has dominated the market [24]. The
combination of oil palm fiber into 3D printing materials
could have positive impacts on the environment and
enhance the mechanical properties of the materials.
Therefore, this paper presents the development of an oil
palm fiber-reinforced ABS for 3D printing and an analysis
of the composite’s properties.
2 Materials and methods
2.1 OPF/ABS composite filament preparation
The raw material for the 3D printer filament was obtained
by mixing ABS thermoplastic pellets with OPF. The virgin
ABS thermoplastic pellets, type IC3D, were supplied by a
company from the United States of America (USA). The
OPF was extracted from the oil palm fruit bunch and
soaked for 2 d in water until the oily surfaces were
removed. The dried OPF then was soaked in a sodium
hydroxide (NaOH) solution for 2 h to extract the undesired
soluble cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin. The
OPF was cleaned with water to eliminate the NaOH and
was dried in the sunlight for a couple of days. Once the
drying process was complete, the OPF (5%, mass fraction)
was blended with the ABS materials to acquire a mix of
250 g for the composite material.
The ABS pellets were dried at 80 C for 4 h to expel
any dampness [17]. Next, an FLD25 filament extrusion
machine was used to produce wire from the OPF/ABS
composite. The extrusion machine consists of a single
screw extruder and a 1.75 mm die and has three tempera-
ture zones: the feeding, compression and pumping zones.
During the printing process, the 1.75 mm OPF/ABS com-
posite filaments were used to print tensile and flexural
specimens.
2.2 Printing process
The virgin ABS and OPF/ABS composite filaments were
printed using an FDM 3D printer (UP plus 2 model). Two
sample quantities were required for this study for both the
tensile and flexural tests. It was necessary to verify the 3D
model from the STL file format before printing to avoid
errors. Most CAD applications produce errors in STL files,
which include gaps, normal faces, self-convergence, noise
shells, and manifold errors. Most STLs generated through
3D scanning regularly have a substantial number of these
errors because 3D scanning regularly uses point-to-point
sampling, incorporating significant errors in the model’s
reconstruction. However, the problems in the original
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74
model can be corrected during one stage in the STL-gen-
eration process, known as the ‘‘fix’’.
When completed, the STL file is run with a program
called ‘‘slicer’’ which can transform the model into thin
layers, and subsequently generate a G-code record that
contains instructions personalized to a particular type of 3D
printer. This G-code record can then be printed with a 3D
printing client program, which combines the G-code and
uses it to align the 3D printers during the printing process.
Figure 1 shows a sample of dog bone-shaped and rectan-
gular-shaped products created using the UP. Software
before the printing process was executed.
2.3 Experimental set-up
The experimental specimens fabricated using these com-
binations were cut as per ASTM D standards to perform the
various tests to determine their tensile and flexural prop-
erties. All tests were performed using the universal testing
machine (INSTRON 5969 model). The testing procedures
were conducted following the ASTM D638 and ASTM
D790 standards for tensile and flexural properties [25].
Figures 2a, b show the products’ dimensions and the
experimental specimens (virgin ABS and OPF/ABS
composite).
Tensile strength is an estimation of a material’s capacity
to withstand being stretched or to what degree the material
extends before cracking. To conduct the tensile test, a
strain measure (extensometer) was attached to the sample
at the focal point of the sample. Each sample’s crosshead
or dislodging rate was set to 2 mm/min. All information
Fig. 1 UP plus 2, 3D printer types FDM a tensile specimen, b flexural specimen
123
M. N. Ahmad et al.
obtained from the extensometer was recorded and gathered
toward the end of the test. The tensile properties of the
composites, including rigidity, ductile modulus, and pro-
longation at breaking point, were determined. Equa-
tions (1) and (2) are the formulas used to compute
elasticity and modulus.
F
r¼ ; ð1Þ
A
where r is the tensile strength at yield; F is the force
applied (kN); A is the cross-section area.
r
E¼ ; ð2Þ
e
where E is the tensile modulus (MPa); r is the stress
applied on test specimen; e is the strain of the specimen
(mm/mm).
Flexural ability is the capacity of a material to withstand
twisting opposite to its longitudinal center. Additionally, it
is the cross-breaking quality of an object, where the
greatest pressure is created when a bar-shaped test piece
with a straight shaft is subjected to a twisting force oppo-
site to the bar. This pressure diminishes due to the flexural
loads, which are a blend of compressive and elastic stres-
ses. The flexural properties of the strained samples were
acquired using the universal testing machine, and the
testing methods were conducted as per the ASTM D790
Standard, as shown in Fig. 3b. The specimens’ mean
flexural strength and modulus obtained from three test
results were calculated. The specimens were placed on two
support beams. Then, the specimens were loaded in the
center using a loading nose. The support’s span-to-depth
Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastics as filament… 75

Fig. 2 Test specimens a dimensions for ASTM D638 and D790 (unit: mm) b tensile and flexural specimens for pure ABS and OPF/ABS
composite

Fig. 3 Mechanical testing of ABS and OPF/ABS specimens a tensile and b flexural test

ratio (R) was 16:1. The rate of the crosshead motion for L3 P
each specimen was calculated using Eq. (3). The flexural EH ¼ ; ð5Þ
4bd3
stress was calculated from the measured load using Eq. (4),
where P is the load at yield (the max load); rmax is the
while the flexural modulus was calculated using Eq. (5).
flexural strength (MPa); EH is the flexural modulus (MPa);
ZL2 L is the support span (mm); d is the thickness (mm); b is
R¼ ; ð3Þ
6d the width (mm) (a2 ? b2 = c2); R is the rate of crosshead
3PL motion, mm/min; Z is the rate of straining of the outer
rmax ¼ ; ð4Þ
2bd2 fiber, mm/min; where Z is 0.01.

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76
A microstructure analysis of the OPF/ABS composite
was conducted using a microscope (Nikon LV-NCNT-N
model). The microscopic views show the filamentous
samples composed of both the OPF and ABS. The smooth
surfaces of the filaments were observed and analyzed.
3 Results and discussion
3.1 OPF/ABS composite filament wire and printed
specimens
All the results obtained were interpreted from the fixing
formula on each test machine. Several parameters consid-
ered in this discussion are load, pressure, and displacement.
Based on the results, the mechanical properties (modulus,
tensile strength and flexural strength) were compared. At
the end of the research, a roll of OPF/ABS composite fil-
ament was fabricated by the extrusion machine, as shown
in Fig. 4a. The diameter of the filament wire was set to
1.75 mm. Hence, Fig. 4b shows the resulting 3D-printed
specimens for the virgin ABS and the OPF/ABS compos-
ite. Due to the presence of OPF (5%, mass fraction), the
color of OPF/ABS was a darker grey than the pure ABS
thermoplastic material.
3.2 Mechanical properties of OPF/ABS composite
Figure 5a shows the tensile stress-strain curve for the vir-
gin ABS, while Fig. 5b illustrates the tensile stress-strain
curve for the OPF/ABS composite. Based on the tensile
results of the virgin ABS, the slope in the elastic or linear
Fig. 4 Pure ABS and OPF/ABS in a form of a filament wire and b 3D printed part as specimens for tensile test
123
M. N. Ahmad et al.
area (E-modulus strength) indicates that the OPF/ABS
samples recorded a slight increase compared with virgin
ABS samples. In addition, the elongation performance of
the OPF/ABS specimen had increased against the virgin
ABS samples. The load-displacement curve of the virgin
ABS and OPF/ABS composite are shown in Figs. 5c, d.
The graphs indicate that the flexural strength shows a clear
downward trend, while adding 5% (mass fraction) of OPF
to the pure ABS. This result contrasts with the results
determined by Heidari-Rarani et al. [26] that show an
improvement of 109% in bending strength. However, their
study used carbon fiber mixed with PLA, while the current
study uses OPF mixed with ABS, potentially explaining the
different results.
The mechanical properties, including tensile modulus,
ultimate tensile strength (UTS), flexural strength at the
breaking point, and the maximum flexural strength of the
virgin ABS, the OPF/ABS composite are summarized in
Table 1. As the results indicate, all mechanical properties
have changed slightly. The tensile modulus of elasticity
and UTS of OPF/ABS compared with the virgin ABS had
increased by approximately 1.9% and 1.05%, respectively.
In comparison, the results obtained by Ning et al. [20]
showed a significantly higher tensile strength of the carbon
fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRT) specimen. More-
over, Petinakis et al. [27] had gained similar results as
obtained in the present study. The bending data show that
the maximum flexural strength of OPF/ABS had decreased
by approximately 90.6%, but had increased by 0.12% for
the flexural strength at the breaking point.
One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to
determine the significance and relative importance of the
Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastics as filament… 77

Fig. 5 Graph of mechanical properties a tensile stress-strain curves for virgin ABS, b tensile stress-strain curves for OPF/ABF, c load
displacement curve of virgin ABS and d load displacement curve of OPF/ABS

Table 1 Mechanical properties of virgin ABS and OPF/ABS

Mechanical properties Virgin ABS OPF/ABS Difference/%
Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 1 Sample 2

Ultimate tensile strength/MPa 19.712 20.378 20.578 20.267 1.90

Tensile modulus/GPa 1.333 1.352 1.052 1.347 1.05
Max. flexural strength/MPa 35.261 37.512 19.423 19.676 -90.60
Flexural strength at break/MPa 6.539 6.510 6.462 6.517 0.12

Table 2 One-way ANOVA for UTS (a = 0.05)

Factor Degree of freedom Sum of square Mean square F-value P-value

Between groups 1 0.143 0.143 1.055 0.412

Within groups 2 0.270 0.135
Total 3 0.413

Table 3 One-way ANOVA for flexural strength (a = 0.05)

Factor Degree of freedom Sum of square Mean square F-value P-value

Between groups 1 283.485 283.485 220.997 0.004

Within groups 2 2.566 1.283
Total 3 286.050

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78
main factors. ANOVA also was used to identify the sig-
nificant factor contributing to the experimental conditions
[28]. The P-values for the tensile and flexural tests were
0.412 and 0.004, respectively, as listed in Tables 2 and 3.
The P-value for UTS was greater than 0.05, and the P-
value for flexural strength was less than 0.05. The smaller
P-value indicates a greater significance of the factors
influencing the value of the mechanical testing results.
However, the influence of OPF in the virgin ABS was not
influential to the value of UTS. Meanwhile, OPF signifi-
cantly affected the value of flexural strength.
3.3 Microstructure analysis
The purpose of conducting a microscopic analysis is to
observe the shape, size, quality of inner structure, and
fracture area of the different samples. Microscopic obser-
vations of the inner structure of the pure ABS and OPF/
ABS samples are shown in Figs. 6a, b, respectively. The
distribution of OPF particles is inconsistent, affecting the
overall strength of the specimens’ structure and various
mechanical properties. Additionally, the microscopic
image of the OPF/ABS composite shows that the OPF had
not completely dissolved into the ABS matrix, causing
problems with the 3D printing process and affecting the
test results.
The analysis of the point of failure as recorded using the
microscopic stress test is shown in Fig. 7. The samples’
fracture surface was analyzed at a low magnification of
0.679. In most cases, broken thermoplastic components
are ductile due to the reorientation and strain of the
macromolecules that enable the material’s high deforma-
tion. The OPF was not able to be adequately transferred
Fig. 6 Microscopic images at high magnification (209) for a pure ABS and b 5% (mass fraction) OPF/ABS
123
M. N. Ahmad et al.
into the structure during the production process. The cracks
began from the necking area and spread continuously in a
scattered manner. The observations show that the disper-
sion in the compression load area is weak compared with
those at the bottom of the sample structure, which had been
subjected to a malleable load.
4 Conclusions
OPF/ABS composite filament wire for a 3D printer was
developed, and its mechanical properties were measured.
The following are the conclusions of this study.
(i) The OPF/ABS composite filament wire was able
to be used in an FDM-based 3D printer.
(ii) The tensile strength and Young’s modulus had
increased slightly by adding OPF to the ABS
matrix. Meanwhile, the results showed a decrease
in flexural strength due to the brittle nature of the
material.
(iii) The microstructure of the OPF/ABS composite
shows that the fibers were not mixed well with the
pure ABS, and some of the fibers were in an
insoluble form.
Additionally, this new OPF/ABS composite material
could be cost-effective and a balance between environ-
mental impacts, and the desired performance could be
achieved by designing composites based on the product’s
requirements. With the target of providing superior
mechanical properties and cost-effective fabrication
methods, it will be necessary to overcome many challenges
Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastics as filament…
Fig. 7 Microscopic images on fracture area a OPF/ABS composite and b virgin ABS
in the development of natural fiber-reinforced composites
as an alternative to synthetic fiber-reinforced composites.
Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the Faculty of
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Universiti
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka for providing the facilities of laboratory
and supporting for this research work.
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24. Kindo S (2010) Study on mechanical behavior of coir fiber Mohammad Khalid Wahid
reinforced polymer matrix composites. Dissertation, National received his M.Eng in Manu-
Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha facturing System Engineering
25. ASTM D638 (2003) Standard test method for tensile properties of from Universiti Putra Malaysia
plastics. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA (UPM) in 2012. He is a Char-
26. Heidari-Rarani M, Rafiee-Afarani M, Zahedi AM (2019) tered Engineer under Institute of
Mechanical characterization of FDM 3D printing of continuous Mechanical Engineers
carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites. Compos Part B Eng. (IMechE). He has 9 years
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.107147 working experience as an engi-
27. Petinakis E, Yu L, Edward G et al (2009) Effect of matrix-par- neer and vocational training
ticle interfacial adhesion on the mechanical properties of officer before joining Universiti
poly(lactic acid)/wood-flour micro-composites. J Polym Environ Teknikal Malaysia Melaka as
17:83–94 lecturer and researcher. His
28. Osman MH, Ab Rahman MH, Ahmad MN et al (2017) Opti- research interest includes
mization of drilling parameters on diameter accuracy in dry machining cutting force, bio
drilling process of AISI D2 tool steel. Int J Appl Eng Res composite and plastics processing.
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Nurul Ain Maidin received her
M.Eng in Innovation and Engi-
Mohd Nazri Ahmad is a EC/ neering Design from Universiti
UK chartered engineer CEng, a Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2013.
member of IMechE and a pro- She has 2 years working expe-
fessional engineer PEng for rience as an engineer before
Board of Engineer Malaysia. He joining Universiti Teknikal
began his career as an engineer Malaysia Melaka as lecturer and
in Sime Darby Engineering researcher. Her research interest
(O&G industry) and has been includes product design and
academic leader, educator, development, manufacturing
researcher, consultant for 14 design and sustainable design.
years. He has published more
than 30 manuscripts in interna-
tional journal/conference/book
chapter. His research interest
includes bio-composite in 3D
Mohd Hidayat Ab Rahman
printer application, additive manufacturing, rapid tooling and reverse
received his M.Eng in Innova-
engineering.
tion and Engineering Design
from Universiti Putra Malaysia
(UPM) in 2013. He has 4 years
working experience as an engi-
neer before joining Universiti
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka as
lecturer and researcher. His
research interest includes ergo-
nomic and manufacturing
design.

123
Mechanical characteristics of oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastics as filament… 81

Mohd Hairizal Osman re- Izzati Fatin Alis@Elias ob-

ceived his M.Eng in Manufac- tained his B.Eng Tech. in Man-
turing System Engineering from ufacturing (Product Design)
Universiti Putra Malaysia from Universiti Teknikal
(UPM) in 2011. He is Profes- Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) in
sional Technology under 2017. Currently, he works as
Malaysian Board of Technology Engineer at manufacturing
(MBOT). He has 6 years work- company. His expertise includes
ing experience as a lecturer CAD/CAM and Product Design
before joining Universiti Development.
Teknikal Malaysia Melaka as
lecturer and researcher. His
research interest includes
machining technology, joining
technology and plastics
processing.

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