Fused deposition modeling to predict inter-layer weld strength of polyvinylidene fluoride and its MWCNTs-reinforced composites

Abstract

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) printed parts have poor mechanical properties in comparison to injection molding parts, which is attributed to the insufficient welding of extrusion filaments at the inter-layer adhesion interface. This paper proposes a methodology for predicting and analyzing the weld strength of FDM printed parts using poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as the raw material. A temperature field simulation and weld strength prediction are established and used to predict inter-layer weld strength. The relative error between predicted weld strength and the experimental value of FDM printed PVDF under different parameters is small, indicating that the method has good accuracy. Moreover, it can be extended to PVDF composites with different MWCNTs content, exhibiting good versatility. This method provides valuable theoretical guidance for the research of polymer composites in FDM process and offers opportunities for the application of FDM in specific fields.