Polyamide/sepiolite Nanocomposites for application in Additive Manufacturing processPolyamide/sepiolite Nanocomposites for application in Additive Manufacturing process

Abstract

Additive manufacturing includes a series of technologies where a three-dimensional object is fabricated by the superposition of different layers of material. From all this technologies, fused filament fabrication (FFF) may the most mature approach. This technology has been used mainly for rapid prototyping, but it starts to be implemented at the industrial level due to the low energy consumption and greater efficiency in the use of raw materials. Currently, the most used polymers in FFF process are the polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). However, their mechanical properties and service temperature are not good enough to be used in applications where high technical demands are recquired. Due to these shortcomings, scientists have focused on other technical polymers such polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyetherimide (PEI). Other approach to improve mechanical performance of traditional materials is the use of fibers or nanofibers, which allows printed parts with new functionalities and/or improved properties. In this study a needle-like nanoclay has been used for obtaining bio-polyamide nanocomposites, specially prepared for FFF application. The final printed parts showed good dimensional stability and good mechanical properties, which place them between the conventional (PLA and ABS) and the technical materials (PEEK and PEI).