Synchrotron X-ray Scattering Analysis of Nylon-12 Crystallisation Variation Depending on 3D Printing Conditions.

Benjamin de Jager,Thomas Moxham,Alexander Korsunsky,Enrico Salvati,Cyril Besnard,Igor Dolbnya,Jingwei Chen

doi:10.3390/polym12051169

Benjamin de Jager, Thomas Moxham + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051169

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Abstract

Nylon-12 is an important structural polymer in wide use in the form of fibres and bulk structures. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) method for rapid prototyping and final product manufacturing of thermoplastic polymer objects. The resultant microstructure of FFF-produced samples is strongly affected by the cooling rates and thermal gradients experienced across the part. The crystallisation behaviour during cooling and solidification influences the micro- and nano-structure, and deserves detailed investigation. A commercial Nylon-12 filament and FFF-produced Nylon-12 parts were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to examine the effect of cooling rates under non-isothermal crystallisation conditions on the microstructure and properties. Slower cooling rates caused more perfect crystallite formation, as well as alteration to the thermal properties.

Highlights

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) method that produces objects by heating an extruded filament of material before putting it down in a line-wise and layer-wise fashion to build up the desired shape, allowing the adjacent tracks and layers to cool and start to bond before the deposition of subsequent lines and layers [1]
It can be concluded that the cooling rate is a key processing parameter that should be varied in order to obtain a better quality of crystallisation in Nylon-12 parts
Since this study focuses on thermal history versus crystal structure, ∆Text is the parameter recommended for variation

Summary

Introduction

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an additive manufacturing (AM) method that produces objects by heating an extruded filament of material before putting it down in a line-wise and layer-wise fashion to build up the desired shape, allowing the adjacent tracks and layers to cool and start to bond before the deposition of subsequent lines and layers [1]. FFF allows for significant design flexibility and more efficient use of material compared to traditional methods and has seen increasing uptake in industries such as consumer goods, aerospace and biomedical technology [2]. Despite significant technological advances in recent years, the control over the outcome of the FFF process remains largely empirical, and the uncertain quality of the final product is still a barrier to wider industrial adoption. A greater comprehension of the process-structure-property link is key to unlocking the technology’s application potential. The process-structure-property link in FFF has several key components. The thermal history undergone by the filament on deposition affects the microstructure

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion