Anisotropy of poly(lactic acid)/carbon fiber composites prepared by fused deposition modeling

It is well known that 3D printed parts prepared by fused deposition modeling (FDM) exhibit large anisotropy of mechanical properties. In this article, poly(lactic acid; PLA)/carbon fiber (CF) composites with different built orientations (X, Y, Z) were prepared by FDM. The effects of printing temperature, speed, orientations, and layer thickness on the mechanical properties of the composites were systematically investigated. The mechanical properties of PLA/CF composites show more significant anisotropy. The orientation of the fibers along the printing direction is displayed by scanning electron microscopy. Printing parameters bring almost no effect on mechanical properties of the X-construct oriented specimen, and bring obvious effect on those of the Y-construct oriented specimen and Z-construct oriented specimen. According to the analysis, carbon fiber can amplify this anisotropy from layer fashion, and the key factors from printing parameters are porosity and bond strength between fuses. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48786.     

Preparation of a new filament based on polyamide‐6 for three‐dimensional printing

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the trendiest three‐dimensional printing (3DP) technologies. However, FDM products based on virgin polyamide‐6 (PA6) are seriously warped due to the accumulation of shrinkage stress generated from the crystallization of PA6. To solve this problem, maleic anhydride grafted poly(ethylene 1‐octene) (POE‐g‐MAH) is added into PA6 to disturb the crystallization and reduce the shrinkage stress. Besides, rigid polystyrene (PS) with good flowability is further introduced to PA6/POE‐g‐MAH blend because too much addition of POE‐g‐MAH will weaken the PA6/POE‐g‐MAH, which will interrupt the printing process. The POE‐g‐MAH and PS both act as amorphous phase in the blends, which will reduce the shrinkage stress and is helpful to the shape stability of the printed products. Finally, a new kind of PA6‐based filament with good toughness for FDM is prepared via this facile method. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:1322–1328, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Measurement of the mechanical and dynamic properties of 3D printed polylactic acid reinforced with graphene

In this paper, three-dimensional (3D) printing system based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) is used for the fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA) specimens with and without graphene and to measure their dynamic mechanical properties. In particular, 3D printed PLA/graphene nanocomposites containing 10wt% graphene in PLA matrix were characterized by compression tests, cyclic compression tests, nanoindentation and modal tests. The results of the mechanical tests reveal that the incorporation of multifunctional graphene has improved the modulus, the strength and the hardness of the 3D printed nanocomposites. The damping as calculated by cyclic compression and modal tests was substantially increased compared to neat PLA samples.     

4D Printing of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): A Detailed Analysis of Microstructure,Programming, and Shape Memory Performance

In this research, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with excellent shape-memory effects is 4D printed via fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. An experimental procedure for successful 3D printing of lab-made filament from PVC granules is introduced. Macro- and microstructural features of 3D printed PVC are investigated by means of wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) techniques. A promising shape-memory feature of PVC is hypothesized from the presence of small close imperfect thermodynamically stable crystallites as physical crosslinks, which are further reinforced by mesomorphs and possibly molecular entanglement. A detailed analysis of shape fixity and shape recovery performance of 3D printed PVC is carried out considering three programming scenarios of cold (T_g −45 °C), warm (T_g −15 °C), and hot (T_g +15 °C) and two load holding times of 0 s, and 600 s under three-point bending and compression modes. Extensive insightful discussions are presented, and in conclusion, shape-memory effects are promising,ranging from 83.24% to 100%. Due to the absence of similar results in the specialized literature, this paper is likely to fill a gap in the state-of-the-art shape-memory materials library for 4D printing, and provide pertinent results that are instrumental in the 3D printing of shape-memory PVC-based structures.     

Structural,mechanical, and thermal properties of 3D printed L‐CNC/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites

3D printing has been extensively applied in human‐related activities, and therefore the 3D printed nanocomposites became more popular and important in end‐use products. In the present study, we use lignin‐coated cellulose nanocrystal (L‐CNC) to reinforce 3D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and explore the effect of L‐CNC on the structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of 3D printed L‐CNC/ABS nanocomposites. The results indicate that the addition of L‐CNC foams the ABS and decreases the density of 3D printed L‐CNC/ABS nanocomposites. However, the tensile modulus and storage modulus increase by adding 4% L‐CNC. The thermal stability of 3D printed L‐CNC/ABS nanocomposites is also significantly improved as indicated by an increase in the maximum degradation temperature. The morphology of the nanocomposites reveals good dispersion and interfacial adhesion between L‐CNC and ABS. The finding indicates that the 3D printed nanocomposites become lighter and stiffer with addition of L‐CNC, which will have great potential to be applied in end‐use products. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45082.     

Experimental investigation and optimization of printing parameters of 3D printed polyphenylene sulfide through response surface methodology

Today fused filament fabrication is one of the most widely used additive manufacturing techniques to manufacture high performance materials. This method entails a complexity associated with the selection of their appropriate manufacturing parameters. Due to the potential to replace poly-ether-ether-ketone in many engineering components, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) was selected in this study as a base material for 3D printing. Using central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM), nozzle temperature (T), printing speed (S), and layer thickness (L) were systematically studied to optimize the output responses namely Young's modulus, tensile strength, and degree of crystallinity. The results showed that the layer thickness was the most influential printing parameter on Young's modulus and degree of crystallinity. According to RSM, the optimum factor levels were achieved at 338°C nozzle temperature, 30 mm/s printing speed, and 0.17 mm layer thickness. The optimized post printed PPS parts were then annealed at various temperatures to erase thermal residual stress generated during the printing process and to improve the degree of crystallinity of printed PPS's parts. Results showed that annealing parts at 200°C for 1 hr improved significantly the thermal, structural, and tensile properties of printed PPS's parts.     

Parametric optimization of intra‐ and inter‐layer strengths in parts produced by extrusion‐based additive manufacturing of poly(lactic acid)

Parts produced by extrusion‐based additive manufacturing experience the disadvantage of consisting of many weld‐lines, which consequently downgrade their mechanical properties. This work aims at maximizing the strength of printed parts by considering and improving the intra‐ and inter‐layer cohesion between adjacent strands. Therefore, printed poly(lactic acid) specimens were characterized by means of a particular tensile test setup, and the inter‐layer cohesion of printed specimens was evaluated by means of the double cantilever beam test. A detailed parametric statistical evaluation, which included printing temperatures, layer thicknesses, and layer‐designs, was complemented by the material's viscosity data and the analysis of the specimens' fracture surfaces and cross‐sections. An optimal layer‐design was found to be a key parameter in the optimization of strength with regard to different loading directions. Additionally, the maximization of the cohesion leads to a tremendous improvement in the mechanical performance of the printed parts, resulting in strengths of roughly 90% of those of compression‐molded parts. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45401.     

Mechanical properties of 3D parts fabricated by fused deposition modeling: Effect of various fillers in polylactide

Weak mechanical strength and serious mechanical anisotropy are two key limiting factors for three-dimensional (3D) parts prepared by fused deposition modeling (FDM) in industrial applications. In this work, we investigated the relationships between mechanical properties and surface quality of FDM parts with the properties of materials used. Three kinds of polylactide (PLA) filaments, composed of the same PLA matrix but different fillers (carbon fibers and talc), were used to prepare FDM specimens. Due to the nature of FDM process, FDM parts exhibited tensile properties weaker and more anisotropic than their injection-molding counterparts. The presence of fillers affected the tensile properties of FDM parts, especially the degree of mechanical anisotropy. It is found that the interlayer bond governing the mechanical performance of FDM parts was improved since the fillers added in the polymer materials facilitates the molecular diffusion across the bond interface. Also, the surface quality of FDM parts varied with fillers. Neat PLA parts exhibited surface quality superior to the 3D parts printed with composites filaments. This work is believed to provide highlights on the development of polymer composites filament and improvement of mechanical properties of FDM parts. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47824.     

3D printing of shape memory polymers

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are polymers which ''remember'' their original shape and can return to it after deformation, if an external stimulus—often an increased temperature – is applied. Some SMPs can be 3D printed, typically by fused deposition modeling (FDM). The most well-known SMP is poly(lactic acid), which belongs to the most often used materials in FDM 3D printing. There are; however, many more SMPs which can be 3D printed to combine the possibilities to prepare new, sophisticated shapes with the opportunity to restore these shapes after undesirable or intentional deformation. This review gives an overview of several 3D printable SMPs, their mechanical characteristics and their possible applications.     

3D-Structured Monoliths of Nanoporous Polymers by Additive Manufacturing

Recent advances in 3D printing provide great opportunities for the utilization of functional materials in chemical engineering and heterogeneous catalysis. In this work cylindrical monoliths with varying geometries of transport channels are designed and printed by a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer from thermoplastic polymers. Their hydrodynamic characteristics are investigated. For a proof of concept composite monoliths of microporous hyper-crosslinked polymers (HCP) are printed. They contain up to 40 wt % of HCP with an accessible specific surface area of up to 171 m²g⁻¹.     

3D Printing of a Robust Polyamide‐12‐Carbon Black Composite via Selective Laser Sintering: Thermal and Electrical Conductivity

The need for big volume powder materials in building mechanically robust sintered parts via selective laser sintering (SLS) has been observed considering the direction towards the future of mass fabrication. This work presents a facile approach of combining polyamide‐12 (PA12) and carbon black (CB) powders to be used in the SLS application. The study investigates the mixing consistency, mechanical property, and thermal stability changes of the resulting 3D printed material. Bulk resistivity is correlated with the amount of CB, showing consistency of carbon content in the sintered parts produced by the effective separate grains mixing method. 3D printed parts are built with 0, 1.5, 3, 5 and 10 wt% CB via SLS. Improvements are seen at 1.5 and 3 wt% CB with the blockage of crack growth by the CB particles on applied load. For concentrations greater than 3 wt%, mechanical properties degrade due to hindering of physical contact between PA12 particles caused by CB particles, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the sintering process. The CB/PA12 sintered parts exhibit enhanced thermal stability resulting in higher degradation temperatures than the neat PA12. Therefore, in this study, thermally and mechanically enhanced 3D printed CB/PA12 build parts via SLS are successfully demonstrated.     

FDM用PETG系列耗材的改性研究

对市售聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯-1,4-环己烷二甲醇酯（PETG）丝材及原材料进行研究,选用PETG 2012作为制备熔融堆积成型技术（FDM）用PETG丝材的基体树脂。选用聚碳酸酯（PC）对基体PETG进行增韧增强改性,并制成3D打印高分子丝材进行打印测试,探讨了PC含量对PETG耗材及制件性能的影响。结果表明,在低PC含量下,PETG与PC的相容性较好,PETG与PC制件未出现明显的分层,分布比较均匀;共混物的流动性随着PC含量的增加而降低,且打印件的维卡软化温度和热变形温度随着PC用量的增加而增加;此外,PC材料的加入使得PETG打印件的力学性能得到较大改善：打印件的拉伸强度随着PC用量的增加而增大,缺口冲击强度却随着PC用量的增加呈现先增加后减小的趋势; PETG/PC的配比为1∶1时,可制得力学性能优异的3D打印耗材。     

An Experimental Study of Nozzle Temperature and Heat Treatment (Annealing) Effects on Mechanical Properties of High-Temperature Polylactic Acid in Fused Deposition Modeling

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is the trendiest three-dimensional (3D) printing method among additive manufacturing technologies. In this process, the final parts are constructed through layer-by-layer adhesion of thermoplastic polymers. Amorphous thermoplastic polymers have better printability compared to semicrystalline ones; so, they are most popular with FDM users. Generally, the overall mechanical properties of FDM 3D printed parts are weaker in comparison to the traditional methods (such as injection molding) due to the weak bonds between the deposited rasters and layers. Therefore, the introduction of new materials with higher mechanical properties and easy printing process of the semicrystalline polymers has always been challenging to progress the mechanical properties of the products. In this study by the FDM process, the effect of nozzle temperature and heat treatment (annealing) on the mechanical properties of high-temperature polylactic acids is investigated. The increase in the nozzle temperature develops the rasters and layers bonding, and the heat treatment of the parts after printing rises the crystallinity percentage, which is crucial for the improvement of mechanical properties. Experimental results show that an increase in the nozzle temperature raises the tensile strength and modulus to 65.7 MPa and 4.97 GPa, respectively. Furthermore, the heat treatment process increases the tensile strength and modulus up to 67.4 MPa and 5.65 GPa. The final tensile modulus values are the highest ones reported for pure materials printed by the FDM process. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:979–987, 2020. © 2020 Society of Plastics Engineers     

FDM 3D打印塑件翘曲变形影响因素的研究

针对熔融沉积成型(FDM)工艺易产生翘曲变形的缺陷,建立翘曲变形数学模型,利用正交试验研究了分层厚度、打印温度、托板温度、产品壁厚4个因素对打印试样翘曲变形的影响程度与趋势。结果表明,实验结果与数学模型相印证,得出分层厚度对翘曲变形影响程度最大,打印温度次之,托板温度与产品壁厚影响较小。通过优化FDM成型工艺参数,使打印精度提高了44.4 %,提高效果显著。     

Solid-state shear milling method to prepare PA12/boron nitride thermal conductive composite powders and their selective laser sintering 3D-printing

The selective laser sintering (SLS) is one of the most important 3D-printing technologies. However, the challenges in SLS could be in the limited high material cost and single material performance. Development of high-performance and multifunctional copowders suitable for SLS is of great importance. Here, polyamide 12 (PA12)/boron nitride (BN) thermal conductive copowders suitable for SLS were successfully prepared through solid state shear milling (S³M) technology in combination with cryogenic pulverization technology. The particle size, morphology, grafting reaction between PA12 and BN, rheology behavior, and coalescence behavior of the obtained PA12/BN copowders were carefully investigated. The optimal amount of silica flow additive (0.5 wt %) was determined to achieve the good powder flowability. Under the optimum 3D-printing conditions, the fabrication of parts with high BN loading could be achieved. When BN content was at 40 wt %, the flexural strength could reach 10.6 MPa and the thermal conductivity could reach 0.55 W/m·k, 77% higher than that of pure PA12. After treated with phenolic epoxy resin, the tensile strength and flexural strength of the printed parts with 40 wt % BN loading could reach 14.2 and 25.6 MPa, which were 130 and 115% higher than those of the untreated 3D-printed parts, respectively. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48766.     

Improving the ductility of polylactic acid parts produced by fused deposition modeling through polyhydroxyalkanoate additions

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most commonly used materials for fused deposition modeling (FDM) due to its low cost, biocompatibility, and desirable printing characteristics. However, its low ductility is a major disadvantage for engineering applications where high damage tolerance is needed. This study investigates the feasibility of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) additions to PLA for improving the ductility of parts produced by FDM. Thermal and mechanical behavior of PLA/PHA specimens containing 12 wt % PHA is investigated for a range of printing nozzle temperatures. All PLA/PHA specimens exhibit amorphous PLA phase with semicrystalline PHA and possess outstanding ductility exceeding 160% for nozzle temperatures in the range of 200 °C–240 °C. Lower and higher nozzle temperatures result in low ductility, similar to that of pure PLA. Overall, PLA/PHA is a very promising polymer blend for FDM processes, providing a combination of sufficient strength with excellent damage tolerance. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48154.     

Mechanical,electrical and thermal performance of hybrid polyethylene-graphene nanoplatelets-polypyrrole composites: a comparative analysis of 3D printed and compression molded samples

ABSTRACT

The paper focuses on the investigation of the 3D printing of multi-functional composites using graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), polypyrrole (PPY) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). A holistic approach was performed and characterization methods to assess the properties of 3D printed composites and compared with those of compression molded composites and neat LLDPE to understand the factors affecting their performance. It has been noted that the 3D printed composites have superior mechanical and electrical properties than neat LLDPE, but slightly lower compared to those of compression molded composites having high packing density of fillers. The nominal increases were 13.2% (tensile strength), 31.9% (flexural strength), 29.4% (flexural modulus) and 24.7% (storage modulus).     

Tough thiourethane thermoplastics for fused filament fabrication

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is the most common form of additive manufacturing. Most FFF materials are variants of commercially available engineering plastics. Their performance when printed can widely vary, thus there is an increasing volume of research on alternative materials with thermal and mechanical performance optimized for FFF. In this work, thiol–isocyanate polymerization is used for the development of a one‐pot synthesis for polythiourethane thermoplastics for tough three‐dimensional (3D) printing applications. The thiol–isocyanate reaction mechanism allows for rapid polymer synthesis with minimal byproduct formation and few limitations on reaction conditions. The resulting elastomer has high toughness and a low melting point, making it favorable for use as a 3D printing filament. The elastomer outperforms commercial filaments in tension when printed. Considering the rapid advancement of additive manufacturing and the limitations of many engineering polymers with the 3D printing process, these results are encouraging for the development of bespoke 3D printing thermoplastics. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45574.     

3D printed polylactide-based zirconia-toughened alumina composites: fabrication,mechanical, and in vitro evaluation

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has been a commonly used technique in the fabrication of geometrically complex biodegradable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Generally, either individual polylactide (PLA) or its combination with calcium phosphates or bioglass has been employed to design scaffolds through the principles of FDM. In this study, FDM protocol has been employed to design 3D printed PLA/zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA). A series of PLA/ZTA combinations have been attempted to determine the feasibility of the resultant in filament extrusion and their subsequent capacity to obtain a stable 3D printed component. A maximum of 80 wt.% PLA and 20 wt.% ZTA has been determined as an optimum combination to yield a stable 3D structure beyond which an enhanced ZTA content in the PLA matrix yielded a fragile filament that lacked effectiveness in 3D printing. 5 and 10 wt.% of ZTA addition in the PLA matrix produced a better 3D design that reasonably displayed good mechanical properties. Depending on the ceramic content, a homogeneous dispersion of the constituent elements representative of ZTA has been determined throughout the PLA matrix. Simulation studies through finite element analysis (FEA) exhibited good corroboration with the test results obtained from the mechanical studies.     

PA12试件多射流熔融成型工艺研究

采用多射流熔融增材制造技术制备了PA12试件,研究了PA12试件不同的构建取向对其成型精度和力学性能以及致密度的影响规律。结果表明,当位置尺寸为宽度方向时,尺寸精度总是呈正偏差,并且在不同得成型角度下,无明显变化规律,与宽度方向相比,厚度方向与长度方向尺寸精度随成型角度增加,变化规律较为明显;试件的力学性能与延伸率受成型角度影响规律相似,当成型角度从0 °增加到45 °时,试件拉伸强度与延伸率逐渐降低,在成型角度大于45 °后,拉伸强度与延伸率显著提升;致密度变化趋势与力学性能保持一致;综合分析可得,当成型角度为45 °时,试件的尺寸精度达到最佳水平;最佳力学性能成型角度为0 °,此时PA12试件的平均拉伸强度为50.95 N/mm²,平均延伸率为37.02 %;致密度最高成型角度为0 °,平均致密度可达到99.311 %。