A Comparison of the Thermal Conductivity of 3D Printed ABS and ABS/Graphite at Various Infill Patterns and Densities

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament is commonly used in additive manufacturing processes as it is cost effective and fast. ABS has inherently poor thermal conductivities, thus conductive fillers such as graphite and carbon black have been added to improve the polymer’s thermal conductivity. This study aims to compare the thermal conductivities of neat ABS and ABS/graphite at two infill patterns which are cubic-subdivision and triangular at various infill densities of 50, 75 and 100%. The thermal conductivities of the samples were measured using the linear heat conduction technique in accordance with ASTM C518. The results revealed that the presence of graphite had slightly improved the lack of thermal conductivity of neat ABS. ABS/graphite with triangular infill pattern provided better thermal conductivity with increased in infill density compared to cubic subdivision. The increased infill density from 50 to 100% for both infill patterns affected the thermal conductivity due to the increased formation of interconnecting structures and reduced air gap. These results shall influence the printing material and parameter selection for thermoelectric application.