Process parameters and mechanical properties of continuous glass fiber reinforced composites-polylactic acid by fused deposition modeling

Abstract

This article focuses on 3D printing of continuous glass fiber reinforced composites-polylactic acid by fused deposition modeling. An innovative continuous fiber reinforced composite 3D printer and self-made continuous glass fiber reinforced filament-polylactic acid are applied to study the influences of process parameters including printing temperature, speed, layer height, and fiber volume fraction on mechanical properties of continuous glass fiber reinforced composites-polylactic acid printing samples. Tensile and three-point bending tests are carried out to explore the mechanical responses of printed samples. Experimental results show that the mechanical properties of continuous glass fiber reinforced composites-polylactic acid printing samples are better than those of polylactic acid samples. The tensile and flexural strengths of the specimens are increased by 400% and 204% when the fiber volume fractions are about 5.21% and 6.24%, respectively. The microscopic observations of the fracture surfaces of the tensile samples are also conducted to analyze the influences of layer heights on tensile strength and failure mechanism.