Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 May 22:14:103385.
doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2025.103385. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Natural fiber filaments transforming the future of sustainable 3D printing

Senthil Maharaj Kennedy  1 , Lenin Anselm Wilson  2 , Joemax Agu M  3 , Rajeev D  4 , Jeen Robert Rb  5 , Balamurugan S  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural fiber filaments transforming the future of sustainable 3D printing

Senthil Maharaj Kennedy et al. MethodsX. .

Abstract

The rapid advancement of additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has created unparalleled prospects for design innovation and production efficiency. Nonetheless, dependence on petroleum-derived polymers presents considerable environmental and sustainability issues. In reaction to these issues, natural fiber-reinforced filament technologies have surfaced as a promising approach for sustainable production. This review aims to objectively evaluate the progress in the development of natural fiber-reinforced filaments, emphasizing their capacity to diminish the carbon footprint of additive manufacturing while improving mechanical, thermal, and functional characteristics. This paper systematically examines manufacturing methodologies, including pelletization and extrusion processes, material behavior such as viscoelasticity and morphological characteristics, and assesses their performance in various applications within the automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer goods sectors. Particular attention is directed on resolving enduring challenges including material inconsistency, moisture sensitivity, and recycling constraints. Moreover, the analysis delineates existing research deficiencies and suggests prospective avenues, including the incorporation of smart materials and the implementation of circular economy frameworks. This article provides a thorough assessment of difficulties and opportunities to facilitate the progress and practical implementation of sustainable natural fiber-based filaments in the next generation of additive manufacturing.

Keywords: 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Biodegradability; Fabrication and Testing methods of Sustainable Natural Fiber FIlaments; Filament; Natural fiber.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image, graphical abstract
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Types of Natural fiber that can be used in 3D printing filament.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pelletization process of Natural Fiber.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Benefits of pelletizing natural fiber.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Extrusion method of fabricating filaments from pellets.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Melt spinning method of fabricating filaments from pellets.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Twin-Screw Extrusion method of fabricating filaments from pellets.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Hot melt Extrusion method of fabricating filaments from pellets.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Stress–strain curves of 3D printed tensile specimens fabricated from polypropylene and rice husk polypropylene composites [114].
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
DSC heating curves of the printed PLA and henequen fibers reinforced PLA composite specimens [126].
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
DMA curves between PLA and PLA jute fiber composites [127].
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
SEM images of thermoplastic copolyester filaments and soybean hull fibers mixed with thermoplastic copolyester composite filaments [130].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Nazir A., Gokcekaya O., Md Masum Billah K., Ertugrul O., Jiang J., Sun J., Hussain S. Multi-material additive manufacturing: a systematic review of design, properties, applications, challenges, and 3D printing of materials and cellular metamaterials. Mater. Des. 2023;226 doi: 10.1016/J.MATDES.2023.111661. - DOI
    1. Mandala R., Bannoth A.P., Akella S., Rangari V.K., Kodali D. A short review on fused deposition modeling 3D printing of bio-based polymer nanocomposites. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2022;139 doi: 10.1002/APP.51904. - DOI
    1. Nyabadza A., Mc Donough L.M., Manikandan A., Ray A.B., Plouze A., Muilwijk C., Freeland B., Vazquez M., Brabazon D. Mechanical and antibacterial properties of FDM additively manufactured PLA parts. Results Eng. 2024;21 doi: 10.1016/J.RINENG.2023.101744. - DOI
    1. Zhao X., Ma W., Aiyiti W., Kasimu A., Jia R. Investigation of influence of printing modes on the quality of 6-PSS FDM 3D printed thin-walled parts. Results Eng. 2023;17 doi: 10.1016/J.RINENG.2023.100926. - DOI
    1. Hikmat M., Rostam S., Ahmed Y.M. Investigation of tensile property-based TAGUCHI method of PLA parts fabricated by FDM 3D printing technology. Results Eng. 2021;11 doi: 10.1016/J.RINENG.2021.100264. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources