Characterization of carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites manufactured by fused deposition modeling

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of producing 3D parts with complex geometries by depositing layer-by-layer and these technologies have been successfully utilized in numerous engineering application. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most promising material extrusion based and commonly used AM technology, which is most widely used for producing thermoplastic parts for functional applications with aim of low cost, minimum wastage and simplicity of material conversion. Due to substantially inadequate mechanical performance of pure thermoplastics material, there is a need to improve the mechanical properties of FDM generated thermoplastic parts. One of the possible methods is to add the reinforcement material such as continuous carbon fiber (CCF) to the thermoplastic matrix to form continuous carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite (CCFRPC), which could be used in engineering applications. Four groups of specimens were prepared: poly-lactic acid thermoplastic (PLA), PLA with short carbon fiber (PLA-SCF), PLA printed with CCF (PLA-CCF) and PLA-SCF printed with CCF (PLA-SCF-CCF) using FDM technology. Effects on the tensile and flexural properties of specimens were experimentally investigated after FDM production process. In order to study the specimens fracture and interfacial bond of the 3D printed parts, fracture interface was observed and analyzed using optical microscope's micrograph after performing the mechanical tests.