Abstract
The rapid printing of 3D parts with desired electrical properties enables numerous applications. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) using conductive thermoplastic composites has been a valuable approach for such fabrication. The parts produced by FDM possess various controllable structural features, but the effects of the structural features on the electrical properties remain to be determined. This study investigated the effects of these features on the electrical resistivity and resistivity anisotropy of 3D-printed ABS/CB composites. The effects of the process parameters of FDM, including the layer thickness, raster width, and air gap, on the resistivity in both the vertical and horizontal directions for cubic samples were studied because the internal structure of the printed parts depended on those process parameters. The resistivities of printed parts in different parameter combinations were measured by an impedance analyzer and finite element models were created to investigate the relationship between the resistivity and the internal structure. The results indicated that the parameters remarkably affected the resistivity due to the influence of voids and the bonding condition between adjacent fibers. The resistivity in the vertical direction ranged from 70.40 ± 2.88 Ω·m to 180.33 ± 8.21 Ω·m, and the resistivity in the horizontal direction ranged from 41.91 ± 2.29 Ω·m to 58.35 ± 0.61 Ω·m at the frequency of 1 kHz. Moreover, by adjusting the resistivities in different directions, the resistivity anisotropy of the printed parts can be manipulated from 1.01 to 3.59. This research may serve as a reference to fabricate parts with sophisticated geometry with desired electrical resistivity and resistivity anisotropy.
Highlights
Materials with desirable electrical properties are indispensable for many research and industrial areas
The objects are fabricated to a required geometry using insulating materials, and conductive additives are embedded in the objects to obtain electrical conductivity [9,10,11]
Comparing the resistivity of the filaments and cubic samples made by 3D-printing, it can be concluded that the resistivity of the printed samples increased remarkably
Summary
Materials with desirable electrical properties are indispensable for many research and industrial areas. Materials of controlled electrical resistivity can be employed for controlled electrical conduction, Appl. Sci. 2017, 7, 20 static charge dissipation, and lightning protection in electronics [8]. Those materials often require processing before being employed and 3D printing, a useful processing method for fabrication of complex shape parts, has been used to print objects with desired electrical properties. The objects are directly printed with conductive materials [12,13,14,15,16,17]. The conductive materials for 3D printing mainly comprise metal, carbon, and their polymer composites. The feedstock of polymer composites mixed with various forms of carbon has attracted considerable attention because carbon cannot be oxidized and become nonconductive
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