Making of cyanobacteria reinforced PLA composites using vat photopolymerization LCD additive manufacturing for textile accessories applications

In this study, green composites were developed using eco-friendly UV-cured resins and cyanobacteria: Arthrospira also called Spirulina for manufacturing textile accessories. This research aims at using green and cheap methods to enhance the properties of resins by addition of cyanobacteria which are known for their useful properties such as biodegradability, color change combined with sustainable production. Solvent-free methods were used, utilizing only green and non-toxic material resources. The cyanobacteria were directly mixed with the bio-based resins using simple mechanical blending and homogenization with green surfactants in order to obtain a homogenous mixture. The results showed that the addition of Spirulina had an influence on the mechanical and thermal stability compared to the virgin ones, with the Tensile Modulus increasing by 29.6 % (with 0.5 % addition of Spirulina). This study demonstrates the potential of these methods for the making of novel custom functionalized textile accessories.