Review of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene in fused filament fabrication: A plastics engineering-focused perspective

Abstract

To date, the materials used for fused filament fabrication (FFF) are commercially available plastics that can be extruded, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and poly(lactic acid). Many other polymers are available in filament form, including polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyetherimide, poly(ether ether ketone), and poly(ether ketone ketone). Although each of these materials is commonly referred to by its polymer structure and thought of as a single material, filaments have unique formulations that include small molecule plasticizers and pigments, as well as different polymer molecular weights and distributions. All of these variations can result in differences in optimal processing windows and performance of the final printed structure. This review provides an introduction to plastics engineering, and places the literature on processing-structure-property relationships in FFF within the context of plastics engineering. From this perspective, the review discusses and attempts to explain some of the conflicting reports relating print parameters and mechanical performance throughout the literature. The review will also include recommendations for filament characterization methods.