On 3D-Printed Cutting Boards of High-Density Polyethylene-Stubble Waste Composites with Improved Wear Properties

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is an established thermoplastic for fabricating food-stuff cutting boards due to low moisture absorption and good wear/chemical/corrosion resistant properties. The agricultural waste as reinforcement in HDPE can further improve the wear-resistant properties, encouraging recyclability through the materials extrusion (MEX) process. However, little has been reported on the wear behaviour of stubble waste powder (SWP) reinforced HDPE composite for fabricating cutting boards in domestic kitchens. In this study, SWP (≤ 50 µm, 15% by wt.) reinforced HDPE composite was 3D printed by MEX process considering printing temperature 210–225 °C and bed temperature 80–85 °C. After 3D printing of cutting board prototypes, wear testing was performed (under dry and wet conditions), and the surface characteristics, thermal, and bonding properties were ascertained. The results suggest that SWP reinforcement in HDPE significantly improved the wear characteristics. The wet conditions restricted the non-uniform spill out of the SWP particles during the plastic deformation (promoted by friction) phase, and a controlled water supply acted as a lubricant, leading to a low wear rate for cutting board applications. The results of the study are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface profilometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.