Effects of annealing on the mechanical, thermal, and physical properties of 3D-printed PLA aged in salt water

Abstract

Despite recent advances in understanding the performance of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) parts, there is a gap to be covered before they can be safely used in marine applications. Given this need, this study evaluates the influence of annealing on the mechanical, thermal and physical properties of PLA specimens aged in salt water at 45 °C for 45 days. Results showed that adequate annealing (100 °C, 70 min) reduces the effects of aging on the flexural and dynamic mechanical properties. This is because the increased crystallinity and reduced void content in annealed specimens, also decreased their water adsorption and surface defects.