{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,4]],"date-time":"2026-10-04T03:28:46Z","timestamp":1791084526173,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,10]],"date-time":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728518400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)","award":["RS-2023-00272281"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00272281"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates the properties of 3D-printed composite structures made from polylactic acid (PLA) and lightweight-polylactic acid (LW-PLA) filaments using dual-nozzle fused-deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Composite structures were modeled by creating three types of cubes: (i) ST4\u2014built with a total of four alternating layers of the two filaments in the z-axis, (ii) ST8\u2014eight alternating layers of the two filaments, and (iii) CH4\u2014a checkered pattern with four alternating divisions along the x, y, and z axes. Each composite structure was analyzed for printing time and weight, morphology, and compressive properties under varying nozzle temperatures and infill densities. Results indicated that higher nozzle temperatures (230 \u00b0C and 240 \u00b0C) activate foaming, particularly in ST4 and ST8 at 100% infill density. These structures were 103.5% larger on one side than the modeled dimensions and up to 9.25% lighter. The 100% infill density of ST4-Com-PLA\/LW-PLA-240 improved toughness by 246.5% due to better pore compression. The ST4 and ST8 cubes exhibited decreased stiffness with increasing temperatures, while CH4 maintained consistent compressive properties across different conditions. This study confirmed that the characteristics of LW-PLA become more pronounced as the material is printed continuously, with ST4 showing the strongest effect, followed by ST8 and CH4. It highlights the importance of adjusting nozzle temperature and infill density to control foaming, density, and mechanical properties. Overall optimal conditions are 230 \u00b0C and 50% infill density, which provide a balance of strength and toughness for applications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym16202852","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,10]],"date-time":"2024-10-10T07:54:09Z","timestamp":1728546849000},"page":"2852","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Characterization of PLA\/LW-PLA Composite Materials Manufactured by Dual-Nozzle FDM 3D-Printing Processes"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ye-Eun","family":"Park","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Fashion and Textiles, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8595-3641","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sunhee","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Fashion and Textiles, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Fashion Design, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chua, C.K., Leong, K.F., and Lim, C.S. 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