Effect of printing temperature on mechanical properties of copper metal polylactide acid

Abstract

The effect of printing temperature on the mechanical properties of metal Polylactide Acid (PLA) through 3D printing have been investigated. Metal PLA was a composite formed from the amalgamation of metal powder and PLA. The study was focused on using copper metal PLA with 15 percent copper metal powder which can be obtained commercially. The objective of this study is to investigate the differences between mechanical properties of model printed with metal PLA and pure PLA under different printing temperatures. The printing temperature ranges from 18°C to 23°C with an increment of 5°C. The sample of metal PLA were shaped into cuboid using 3D print. The elemental analysis of 3D printed metal PLA was carried out using scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). The SEM-EDX showed the elemental composition and cross-sectional surface topography of the metal PLA. The quality of the filament depends on the amalgamation between copper metal powder and PLA. The mechanical properties of tensile strength was characterized through tensile test according to ASTM D3039 type 5 standard for polymer composite at a 50 percent infill density. The results obtained will be compared with pure PLA. Through the tensile test, the 3D printed metal PLA has a higher tensile strength and modulus of rigidity compared to pure PLA. The increase in printing temperature has increases the tensile strength of the printed samples. Finally, the printing temperature for optimum tensile strength was at a temperature of 215°C. The addition of the copper in the filament also causes the PLA become conductive.