Jihyuk Jung  Kwang Sun Huh  Jungho Jae  Kwang Se Lee

Vol. 29,  No. 3, pp. 172-177, Sep.  2023
10.7464/ksct.2023.29.3.172

Polylactic acid Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer 3D Printing

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Many studies have been conducted on the indiscriminate use of plastic due to the environment problems it has caused all over the world. This problem can be mitigated by using eco-friendly/biodegradable plastics that can be decomposed by microorganisms or enzymes. This study focused on addressing the plastic golf tees that are thrown away at golf courses. In order to replace conventional golf tees (ABS) with a more eco-friendly alternative, this study explored a biodegradable plastic and 3D printing method for producing golf tees. Among the biodegradable plastics, PLA (polylactic acid) was found to be a good candidate as an eco-friendly material because it is biodegradable by microorganisms. Thus, golf tees were prepared by using PLA via 3D printing, and the physical and chemical properties of the tees were evaluated. The amorphous region of PLA was confirmed through XRD. Also, FT-IR showed the unique peak of PLA without impurities. It was confirmed through an optical microscope that the specific surface area and roughness had increased. This structure plays a role in firmly fixing the golf tee when it is inserted into the ground. In addition, it was possible to improve the compressive load compared to ABS golf tees while also decreasing the compressive stretching.