Effects of Shape Recovery Temperature and Holding Time on 4D Printing of PLA/PCL Blend

4D printing is an emerging technology that enables the fabrication of objects capable of self-transformation or changing shape over time in response to external stimuli. This study investigates the shape memory properties of a blend comprising Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL), with a 20% weight fraction of PCL (referred to as PLA/PCL20). The PLA/PCL20 blend was prepared using melt blending and subsequently 3D printed using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. The shape memory properties of the 3D printed parts were evaluated using hot water bath programming. Specifically, the effects of shape recovery temperature and holding time on the shape recovery behavior of the PLA/PCL20 blend were investigated. Shape recovery temperatures ranging from 50 to 80 °C and holding times ranging from 1 to 10 min were considered. The results indicate that both shape recovery temperature and holding time significantly influence the shape memory properties of the PLA/PCL20 blend. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing the blend's shape memory performance, with potential applications in biomedical devices, textiles, and smart packaging. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.