Study of the selective laser sintering of polycarbonate and postprocess for parts reinforcement

Abstract

Polycarbonate (PC) powder, a common and low-cost amorphous polymer, can be moulded easily by the process of selective laser sintering (SLS). However, the sintered parts cannot be used as functional parts because of their poor mechanical properties. In this article, epoxy resin was applied to improve the mechanical properties of PC SLS parts. Specimens for testing dimensional accuracy, tensibility, flexibility, and impact strength were made by SLS with 75-100 μ PC powder. Some of the specimens were posttreated with two types of epoxy resins. Dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of the specimens were measured. Microstructures of tensile fracture were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The result shows that the mechanical properties of the specimens are reinforced greatly after the epoxy resin has been infiltrated. Extent of the reinforcement depends on curing agents of epoxy resins. For example, with curing agent W, it is increased to 13.82, 8.00, and 3.69 times, respectively, in tensile, flexural, and impact strength and with curing agent Y, it is increased to 19.87, 7.43, and 1.55 times, respectively, in the same properties. The reinforcement in mechanical properties of PC SLS parts can be improved a step further by means of optimizing the epoxy resin system. Therefore, the PC SLS parts reinforced by epoxy resin can be used as functional parts, if the requirement on mechanical properties is not very high.