Abstract
In the current study, nanocomposites of medical-grade polyamide 12 (PA12) with incorporated copper (I) oxide (cuprous oxide-Cu2O) were prepared and fully characterized for their mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The investigation was performed on specimens manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF) and aimed to produce multi-purpose geometrically complex nanocomposite materials that could be employed in medical, food, and other sectors. Tensile, flexural, impact and Vickers microhardness measurements were conducted on the 3D-printed specimens. The fractographic inspection was conducted utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to determine the fracture mechanism and qualitatively evaluate the process. Moreover, the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (D/TGA). Finally, their antibacterial performance was assessed through a screening method of well agar diffusion. The results demonstrate that the overall optimum performance was achieved for the nanocomposites with 2.0 wt.% loading, while 0.5 wt.% to 4.0 wt.% loading was concluded to have discrete improvements of either the mechanical, the thermal, or the antibacterial performance.
Highlights
A new era in manufacturing processes is met through the utilization of additive manufacturing (AM), which is currently considered as the most prominent manufacturing method in a wide range of industrial and research applications [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Multifunctional polyamide 12 (PA12)/Cuprous oxide (Cu2 O) nanocomposites were fabricated in the form of filament, and specimens were 3D printed with material extrusion (MEX) to investigate their mechanical, thermal, morphological, and antibacterial properties
It was found that the introduction of cuprous oxide in the polymer matrix could positively enhance material performance in all the examined cases
Summary
A new era in manufacturing processes is met through the utilization of additive manufacturing (AM), which is currently considered as the most prominent manufacturing method in a wide range of industrial and research applications [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The high interest for AM in academia and industry is attributed to the capabilities given to users from this manufacturing method [8,13]. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 534 percentage of wastage. Even if wastages are produced, they are, to a high extent, recyclable under certain circumstances [7,15]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.