Exploiting mono‐ and hybrid nanocomposite materials for fused filament fabrication with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene as polymer matrix

Abstract

AbstractAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) based polymeric composites consisting of mono‐ and hybrid nano‐compounds, that is, graphene nanoplatelets (GNP's), multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNT's), and titanium dioxide (TiO2), are studied for fused filament fabrication (FFF). Rheological analysis in a screening step reveals that nanocomposites containing CNT result in a better nano‐filler dispersion within the matrix and enhanced matrix interaction. The addition of GNP and TiO2 leads to a better coalescence between the deposited filaments. For the actual FFF specimens, emphasis is on the tensile, flexural and impact properties as well as the void content. It is shown that the joint addition of GNP, CNT, and TiO2 gives rise to a remarkable synergistic effect, leading to an improved dispersion and an increased tensile modulus and strength of 3D printed ABS by 16 and 20%. Decreasing the layer thickness increases the mechanical properties of the materials, while the printing temperature does not lead to major variations of the mechanical properties, due to a dominant effect of the addition of nanoparticles. It is also shown that for well‐designed composites the slower sintering and higher void content is overruled by the reinforcement effect.