The Mechanical and Physical Properties of 3D-Printed Materials Composed of ABS-ZnO Nanocomposites and ABS-ZnO Microcomposites.

Nectarios Vidakis,George Kenanakis,Athena Maniadi,Cosmin Romanitan,Mirela Suchea,Oana Tutunaru,Emmanuel Koudoumas,John Kechagias,Markos Petousis

doi:10.3390/mi11060615

Abstract

In order to expand the mechanical and physical capabilities of 3D-printed structures fabricated via commercially available 3D printers, nanocomposite and microcomposite filaments were produced via melt extrusion, 3D-printed and evaluated. The scope of this work is to fabricate physically and mechanically improved nanocomposites or microcomposites for direct commercial or industrial implementation while enriching the existing literature with the methodology applied. Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO nano) and Zinc Oxide micro-sized particles (ZnO micro) were dispersed, in various concentrations, in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) matrices and printable filament of ~1.75 mm was extruded. The composite filaments were employed in a commercial 3D printer for tensile and flexion specimens’ production, according to international standards. Results showed a 14% increase in the tensile strength at 5% wt. concentration in both nanocomposite and microcomposite materials, when compared to pure ABS specimens. Furthermore, a 15.3% increase in the flexural strength was found in 0.5% wt. for ABS/ZnO nano, while an increase of 17% was found on 5% wt. ABS/ZnO micro. Comparing the two composites, it was found that the ABS/ZnO microcomposite structures had higher overall mechanical strength over ABS/ZnO nanostructures.

Highlights

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a 3D printing process, in which a selected material is extruded layer by layer to create a larger 3D object [1,2]
Zinc Oxide, leading to a 15% increase in the flexural strength when compared to unfilled, pure Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
From the flexural stress–strain curves it was observed that all the nanocomposite specimens, depending on the filler’s concentration, had more brittle fracture when compared to pristine ABS specimens

Summary

Introduction

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a 3D printing process, in which a selected material is extruded layer by layer to create a larger 3D object [1,2]. The mechanical properties of 3D-printed ABS parts [10,11,12,13] are changing, depending on the 3D printing process parameters selected among other factors, in addition to the fact that Fused filament fabrication (FFF) introduces anisotropy to the final parts. Regarding composite and nanocomposite structures, 3D printed parts have natural striations resulting from the 3D printing resolution. This is because the 3D printing process affects the homogeneity of the composites and alters the properties of the final material [4]. Nanocomposite and microcomposite filaments for 3D printing, are nowadays in high demand due to the nanoscale and microscale interactions These interactions can improve the mechanical stability and durability of the resulting materials [14,15,16,17]. Studies have shown that fillers in nano scale, can be more uniformly dispersed in polymeric matrices, leading to higher mechanical toughness when compared to composites filled with filler particles in micro scale [18,19]

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Conclusion