Thermal and acoustic performance evaluation of 3D-Printable PLA materials

Abstract

In this study, additive manufacturing or three dimensional (3D) printing technology was utilized to develop thermal and acoustic insulation materials. A 3D model was carefully designed to obtain thermal and acoustic insulation properties using Autodesk software and print the materials using QIDI X-PLUS 3D printer with precise and controlled shape and structure. Biodegradable PLA filament was used as printing ink. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted to check whether this new branch of technology is suitable for producing insulation materials. Testing results revealed that insulation materials produced from 3D printing technology have excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The lowest obtained thermal conductivity value was 0.037 W/mK, and the maximum obtained sound transmission loss was 48.27 dB at 1600 Hz frequency. In case of physical properties, density of insulation panels ranges from 366.46 to 721.26 kg/m3, and porosity ranges from 43 to 71%. Life cycle cost (LCC) analysis was carried out to obtain the optimum insulation thickness, energy savings, and payback period of developed insulation materials for different locations in the USA. It was found that the optimum insulation thickness varies between 4 and 10 mm, energy savings varies between 45.0% and 67.2%, and payback period varies between 8.5 and 14.8 years. The effect of structural parameters (thickness, density, air permeability, and porosity) on insulation properties was also checked in order to obtain a relationship between structural parameters and insulation properties. It was found that both density and porosity have significant influence on insulation properties. Testing results also revealed that thermal and acoustic insulation properties follow opposite trends with the increase of density and porosity. The increase in density and decrease in porosity causes increase in acoustic insulation property, but decrease in thermal insulation property. A comparison was also made with commercially available acoustic and thermal insulation panels, and it was observed that produced 3D printed samples have better insulation properties. This indicates that developed materials have very good potential to be commercially used as building insulation materials. As produced insulation material has colored and glossy surfaces, it can be used in the interior or exterior of building walls and may also replace plasterboard or tiles of building walls.