Influence of 3D-printing deposition parameters on crystallinity and morphing properties of PLA-based materials

Morphing effect control is still a major challenge in 4D-printing of polylactic acid (PLA). In this work, the influence of extrusion-based 3D-printing parameters on PLA-based material morphing was studied. A design of experiments was performed, where 5 factors (printing temperature, bed temperature, printing speed, fan speed, and flow) were explored at 2 levels. Crystallinity and morphing properties of each 3D-printed structure were determined and discussed. The crystallinity rates of the PLA-based specimens ranged from ca. 14