Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Research Articles

Performance evaluation of 3D-printed ABS and carbon fiber-reinforced ABS polymeric spur gears

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer and carbon fiber reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF/ABS) spur gears were 3D-printed using fusion deposition modeling (FDM) with different fillet radii of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 mm. The performance of the fabricated gears was studied with the effect of fillet radius on varying load and speed conditions. The thermal properties of the gears were also investigated. The results indicated that 3D-printed CF/ABS spur gear exhibited better performance than the pure ABS. The 3D-printed CF/ABS gear with fillet radius of 0.25 mm recorded the highest wear and thermal stresses. However, the optimum performance was exhibited by the gear sample with highest fillet radius of 0.75 mm. Repeated gear tooth loading during service caused an increase in gear temperature due to the hysteresis and friction. Using optical microscopy, the tooth structures of both 3D-printed ABS and CF/ABS spur gears were analyzed before and after loading conditions to establish their failure mechanism. Evidently, various applications of the FDM 3D-printed spur gears depend on their different performances under loads and operating speeds. The methods and findings of this work can be regarded as helpful for future related work related to cellulosic reinforcing particles in a polymer matrix.

Mechanical recycling of carbon fibre reinforced polymers. Part 1: influence of cutting speed on recycled particles and composites properties

ABSTRACT Scientific advances and technological requirements to develop carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) with excellent strength-to-weight ratios led to the high consumption of CFRP composites. The mechanical recycling of CFRP is a simpler, more economical, and environmentally responsible solution for effectively recovering this structural material that contains epoxy resin and carbon fibre. CFRP laminates were placed on a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and milling cutting at 1100, 1800, and 2500 rpm. The recovered CFRP particles were mixed with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) using the melt intercalation approach. Recovered CFRP particles increased the molecular mobility and reduced the thermal stability of ABS. The main differences between the ABS and the composites were a more pronounced necking region in the ABS than in the composites and a notable reduction in strain. The strain of the ABS was 27.58%, while in the composites, it was 4.29, 4.02, and 3.51%, depending on the cutting speed. Thus, ductility decreased up to 87% in the composites. This work’s successful CFRP mechanical recycling method provides epoxy powder, individual carbon fibres, and CFRP particles, opening a research field of great economic and environmental relevance in developing new materials.

Surface Durability of 3D-Printed Polymer Gears

This paper proposes a series of experimental determinations carried out with the aim of generating new conclusions regarding the ability of 3D-printed gears to be integrated into mechanisms without lubrication. The main factors that influence the appearance of wear in non-lubricated contact are sliding speed, material hardness, surface finish, surface geometry, and material microstructure. The tests considered the type of material from which they were made and the 3D printing technology type. For testing the gear wheels, a mechatronic experimental setup was made consisting of two shafts with adjustable axial distances, a wheel loading system gears, an electric motor, and a command-and-control system. In terms of materials, four types of materials were monitored: PA (polyamide), PLA (polylactic acid), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PP (photopolymer). The evaluation of the gear wear was carried out by checking the gearing on two flanks (Frenco ZWP 06) and by scanning with the ATOS CORE 135 3D scanner. The PA and PP gears failed to meet the structural integrity standards after the tests. The PLA gears exhibited superior resistance to abrasive wear compared to the ABS gears, whereas the ABS gears generally demonstrated stronger structural integrity.

Enhancing shear strength in 3D printed single lap composite joints: A multi‐faceted exploration of GNP integration, print orientation, utilizing artificial neural networks, and dynamic analysis

AbstractThe state‐of‐the‐art manufacturing process known as additive manufacturing (AM) employs components that may be processed by AM, including ceramics, polymeric materials, metallic substances, titanium, metallic substances, and composites, to produce parts with intricate designs and exact properties. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a rapidly growing 3D printing technique. However, most FDM systems only support polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as a printing medium. The impact of print orientations and graphene nanoparticles upon the tensile and shear properties of PLA single‐lap joint samples created by FDM has been investigated in this work. According to experimentation, the 0° orientation has the highest load‐bearing capacity and shear strength compared to 45° and 90°. Also, addition of GNP to epoxy adhesive improved greatly, with 0.25 to 1.00 weight percentages of 20.94, 12.34, 38.98, and 31.11%, respectively. FESEM has been used to analyze the failure criteria. The free vibrational analysis confirmed that the 3DS6 sample had the highest natural frequency (598.7 Hz) compared to all other samples. The artificial neural network (ANN) approach accurately predicted the failure load. The overall =0.8471 achieved is below the permissible margin of error, indicating that both the outcomes are reliable and in satisfactory agreement.

Evaluation of Bruising Susceptibility and Response of Pears under Impact Loading through Finite Element Analysis

Mechanical damage and bruising of fruit is a critical problem in the food industry. Minimizing brusing and damage can be achieved by designing energy-absorbing structures and packaging systems in order to ensure the long-term quality of fresh produce. The aim of this study is to investigate the response and bruise susceptibility of pears under impact loading conditions through finite element analysis (FEA) methods. In this paper, three impact heights (0.25 m, 0.5 m, and 1.0 m), four impact material surfaces (poplar wood, rubber, cardboard, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic), two packaging sizes (standard 0.22″ and sandwich lattice 2.1″), and three impact design structures (rigid, corrugated, and honeycomb) are considered. Based on mesh sensitivity analysis, a mesh element of 1.5 mm was adopted for all simulations, assuring the accuracy of results and considering the trade-off between mesh size and computational time. The response surface analysis approach was utilized in order to develop predictive empirical models related to pear bruising. Results revealed that the rubber-based impact platform yielded minimal bruise susceptibility at all heights, while standard-sized corrugated cardboard performed best at a height of 0.25 m. Furthermore, single, double, and triple layers of packaging cardboard were tested. We observed that adding a second soft layer of corrugated cardboard reduced the stress on the pear by around 33%. However, adding a third layer only reduced stress by 5%. The 3D-printed honeycomb ABS has potential as protective packaging but would require further investigations and parameter optimization. Stacking multiple layers of cardboard on top of each other is a cost-effective solution that could improve damping and, therefore, ensure good quality and increase the shelf life of the fresh produce. This study will help decision-makers select the optimal energy-absorbing material for cushioning and packaging designs in order to improve the handling and post-harvesting logistics of fresh produce.

Tensile fatigue behavior of short and continuous carbon fiber reinforced additively manufactured thermoplastic multiscale composite

Fiber reinforced multiscale composites represent a cutting-edge class of advanced materials that have garnered significant attention in the realm of materials science and engineering. These advanced materials intertwine various fiber reinforcements, meticulously tailored at micro, to macro levels, imparting them with remarkable mechanical, thermal, and functional properties. In this research, an experimental investigation was performed to observe the tensile fatigue behavior of short and continuous carbon fiber reinforced additively manufactured multiscale thermoplastic composites. The multiscale composite was fabricated by combining layers of continuous woven carbon fiber (CCF) with short carbon fiber (SCF) reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) laminates which were additively manufactured using the fused filament fabrication technique. It was observed that the multiscale composite exhibits a maximum 127% higher strength and 154% higher Young’s modulus than neat ABS polymer. Based on non-normalized stress-life curves, multiscale composites with four layers of CCF have a higher fatigue strength than multiscale composites with one layer of CCF. However, when the applied stress is normalized by the quasi-static strength, the multiscale composite with one layer of CCF had a longer fatigue life than the four layers of CCF reinforced multiscale composites at high normalized cyclic stress, while the multiscale composite with four layers of CCF exhibited a longer fatigue life at low normalized cyclic stress. The four CCF layers reinforced multiscale composites experienced a different extent of fiber pull-out, matrix cracking, and delamination at different stress levels. Conversely, fatigue failure of the one layer of CCF reinforced multiscale composites primarily occurred due to localized fiber breakage with minimal matrix-related damage.

Development of a laser‐assisted fused deposition modeling process for improvement in bond tensile strength of ABS

AbstractFused deposition modeling (FDM), an advanced 3D printing method, is a rapidly growing technology for realizing geometrically complex parts. FDM utilizes a thermoplastic feedstock that is heated and extruded through a nozzle to build up layers of material following toolpaths prescribed by three‐dimensional (3D) data. However, the rapid thermal cycles that the material undergoes during this process limit the formation, growth, and entanglement of the molecular chains in the material. Herein, we have proposed a novel laser‐assisted fused deposition modeling (LAFDM) process for the improvement in printed part properties such as bond width and tensile strength. The LAFDM system was developed consisting of an infrared laser, coupled with an industrial FDM printer. Using an adapted tensile testing method, the bond strength between deposited layers of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in 3D‐printed structures was assessed. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to monitor the thermal stability of the polymer to detect alterations to the chemical composition of the material as a result of the processing conditions. A 9.5% increase in the average bond tensile strength for the LAFDM‐printed specimen was observed compared to that of the non‐laser‐assisted FDM‐printed specimen. The improvement to the bond strengths was achieved without compromising the thermal stability of the polymer.

Investigating the Effect of ABS on the Mechanical Properties, Morphology, Printability, and 4D Printing of PETG‐ABS Blends

AbstractIn this study, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with three different ratios of 30%, 50%, and 70% is used to enhance the shape memory and mechanical properties of Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Additionally, morphology, printability, and dynamic thermomechanical analysis are also examined. The thermal test results show that PETG‐ABS compounds have two transition temperatures in the range of 80 and 110 °C, which are related to the components. By changing the weight percentage of PETG from 30 to 70%, three morphologies of matrix‐droplet, sea‐island, and combination of co‐continuous and matrix‐droplet are observed. The results of the mechanical properties show an increase in strength with the increase of ABS, which can be justified due to the higher strength of ABS compared to PETG. The highest tensile strength of 32.48 MPa and 15.16% elongation is obtained for PETG‐ABS(30‐70) and PETG‐ABS(70‐30), respectively. Due to the better shape memory performance of PETG, PETG‐ABS(50‐50) and PETG‐ABS(70‐30) have complete shape recovery, and with the increase of PETG, the shape recovery rate also increased. This diversity in morphology, mechanical properties, and shape memory effect is one of the goals of this research which is well fulfilled.

Optimal Design of Quadcopter Chassis Using Generative Design and Lightweight Materials to Advance Precision Agriculture

This research addresses the imperative challenge of a lightweight design for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) chassis to enhance the thrust-to-weight and power-to-weight ratios, crucial for optimal flight performance, focused on developing an intriguing lightweight yet robust quadcopter chassis. Advanced generative design techniques, integrated with topology optimization, using Autodesk Fusion 360 software (v. 16.5. 0.2083), 3D-printing methods and lightweight materials like Polylactic Acid (P.L.A.), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (A.B.S.), and Nylon 6/6 play a significant role in achieving the desired balance between structural integrity and weight reduction. The study showcases successful outcomes, presenting quadcopter chassis designs that significantly improve structural efficiency and overall performance metrics. The findings contribute to aerial robotics and hold promise for precision agriculture applications with relevant performed simulations, emphasizing the importance of tailored design methodologies for other engineering domains. In conclusion, this research provides a foundational step toward advancing drone technology, with weight reductions of almost 50%, P/W and T/W ratios increment of 6.08% and 6.75%, respectively, at least an 11.8% increment in Factor of Safety, at least a 70% reduction in stress values and reduced manufacturing time from its comparative DJI F450 drone, demonstrating the critical role of innovative design approaches in optimizing operational efficiency for targeted applications.

Environmental Durability of Bio-Based and Synthetic Thermoplastic Composites in Large-Format Additive Manufacturing.

This research investigates the durability of large-format 3D-printed thermoplastic composite material systems under environmental exposure conditions of moisture and freeze-thaw. Durability was evaluated for two bio-based composite material systems, namely wood-fiber-reinforced semi-crystalline polylactic acid (WF/PLA) and wood-fiber-reinforced amorphous polylactic acid (WF/aPLA), and one conventionally used synthetic material system, namely short-carbon-fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF/ABS). The moisture absorption, coefficient of moisture expansion, and reduction of relevant mechanical properties-flexural strength and flexural modulus-after accelerated exposure were experimentally characterized. The results showed that the large-format 3D-printed parts made from bio-based thermoplastic polymer composites, compared to conventional polymer composites, were more susceptible to moisture and freeze-thaw exposure, with higher moisture absorption and greater reductions in mechanical properties.

Structural and nonlinear J-integral fracture toughness for nanoclay toughened ternary HDPE/LDPE-g-MA/ABS blend nanocomposites

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has a higher strength-to-density ratio and stiffness but a low branching degree for the packed linear chains that restrict the ability to bond and resist cracking. This study conducts the role of inserting rigid nanoclay (NC) and soft acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) on the structural, nonlinear fracture toughness and crack resistance of a ternary HDPE/low-density polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydrite (LDPE-g-MA)/ABS blend. Varying additions of 1, 3, 5, and 7 % NC and 5, 10, 15 wt. % ABS were inserted into neat HDPE and HDPE90/LDPE-g-MA10. All materials were hand-mixed before feeding into a single screw extruder and directly melt-blended twice to achieve a good dispersion of nanofiller in the matrix. The structural characteristics and the fracture surfaces of NC/HDPE/LDPE-g-MA and NC/HDPE/LDPE-g-MA/ABS were investigated by TEM, XRD, SEM, and FTIR spectra. Tensile strength and the critical dissipated energy (JIc) determined by quasi-static J-integral fracture mechanic revealed a higher absorbing fracture energy of 75 KJ/m2 for the binary and 85 KJ/m2 for the ternary nanocomposites. The synergistic percolated role of the NC particles and ABS copolymer in front of the crack tip region hinders crack growth for the presence of micro-void coalescence and massive shear-yielding toughening mechanisms.

Optimization of Parameters for Fluidized Bed-Type Tribo-Electrostatic Separation of End-of-Life Vehicle Waste Polymer Particles by Response Surface Methodology

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) have resulted in huge quantities of waste vehicle polymers, the reuse of which could be effective in mitigating pollution and creating economic value. Based on the developed fluidized bed-type electrostatic separation equipment, this paper investigated the separation of two groups of commonly used mixed vehicle-use polymer particles, namely, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)-polyamide (PA)-polypropylene (PP) (black) and polyethylene (PE)-PP (white)-polyvinyl chloride (PVC). First, the force of the particle in an electric field was analyzed, and the kinetic model of the particle in a high-voltage electrostatic field was established. Then, individual factor experiments were conducted on the fluidization time (T), the first-stage electrostatic separation chamber electrode voltage (U 1), the second-stage electrostatic separation chamber right field electrode voltage (U 3) and the second-stage electrostatic separation chamber left field electrode voltage (U 5) to investigate the pattern of separation results affected by each of these factors, individually. Finally, based on response surface methodology (RSM) experiments, the effects of the abovementioned three factors and their interactions on the purity of the separation of the three types of particles in each group were analyzed. The optimum separation parameters for ABS-PA-PP (black) particles in the experiments were determined as follows: T of 385 s, U 1(U 3) of −32 kV and U 5 of −37 kV. The optimum separation parameters for PE-PP (white)-PVC particles were found as follows: T of 398 s, U 1(U 3) of −40 kV and U 5 of −38 kV. The experimental validation of the abovementioned parameters obtained the purities of the three set of ABS-PA-PP (black) types of particles being 95.67%, 91.34% and 99.12%, respectively. The purities of the three set of PE-PP (white)-PVC types of particles being 96.21%, 93.20% and 86.74%.

Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS method for the target/untargeted analysis of microplastics in air

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled to Orbitrap-mass spectrometry is a novel technique that allows the low level and precise determination of microplastics in environmental samples. In this paper, we develop and assess the target and untargeted performance of Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS. The method was optimized for 10 plastic polymers: polymethyl methacrylate, nylon-6,6, polypropylene, nitrile butadiene rubber, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, and polystyrene. Standards were home-made using a diamond driller to attain mean sizes within the range of 45–382 µm. A step-by-step optimization of the analytical procedure was carried out. First, accurate mass measurement of each polymer at 60,000 resolution was studied to select the 3 most intense and selective quantification and confirmation ions. Second, internal standard quantification was optimized, and good linearity, repeatability, and reproducibility were obtained. Blank contribution and instrumental detection limit were evaluated for each polymer. Finally, the combined and expanded uncertainty of the Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS method was calculated to determine the sources of variation, considering that home-made standards were used. To evaluate method performance, targeted and non-targeted analysis of indoor air samples collected from gyms and department stores were carried out. The Pyr-GC-Orbitrap-MS methodology herein described can be applied for the quantitative assessment of MPs and other substances in different matrices.

Impact of recyclability on the mechanical properties of coated plastic materials for the automotive and electronic sectors

This research focuses on the study of the mechanical properties (tensile and impact strength) of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) and its blends with Polycarbonate (ABS/PC) including recycled and painted material. A comprehensive assessment was done to determine the impact of reprocessing cycles, remaining coating and their combined effect in the final properties of the recycled polymer. Post-consumer materials are in an already-aged state, lowering their initial properties. Mechanical recycling methods showed that the reprocessing cycles have a higher impact on the mechanical performance than the amount of recycling material content. Also, the material is often coated when they are about to be recycled. The remaining coating impurities play a major role in the recycling process, losing up to 42% of the impact strength for ABS and 28% for ABS/PC. It was demonstrated that below a 10% of remaining paint, both materials retained is performance as a neat product. Impurities was declared to be the most pernicious element on the recycling process and their elimination must be a priority regarding this objective. These results provide a better knowledge of the recycling effect and can be used to decide the potential recyclability of plastic. The ascribed project of this study (DECOAT) aims to develop efficient systems to remove coatings at the end-of-life of the part, to reduce the damage and promote the use of recycled material in high-tech applications.

A machine learning approach to characterise fabrication porosity effects on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured thermoplastic composites

The investigation of the mechanical properties of additively manufactured (AM) composite has been the focus of several research over the past decades. However, testing constraints of time and cost have encouraged the exploration of more pragmatic methods such as machine learning (ML) for predicting these characteristics. This study builds on experimental investigations of the flexural, tensile, compressive, porosity, and hardness properties of 3D printed carbon fibre-reinforced polyamide (CF-PA) and carbon fibre-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF-ABS) composites, proposing the application of ML for predicting these mechanical properties. A comprehensive comparative analysis of various machine learning approaches was executed, with a resultant accuracy ranging between 80 and 99%. The results unveiled the superior predictive performance of ensemble tree learners and the K-NN regressor algorithms when temperature and porosity are selected (based on correlation analysis) as predictors for material hardness and strength in tension, compression, and flexion. In particular, the model built on the extra-tree regressor algorithm demonstrated a remarkably robust fit, with R-squared evaluation scores of 0.9993 and 0.9996 for CF-PA and CF-ABS, respectively. This work develops a ML model that relates porosity to the other mechanical properties of AM composites and the prediction models’ exceptional accuracy, along with their precise alignment with experimental data, provide invaluable insights for the autonomous control and data-driven optimization of the structures.

Multi-Institutional Audit of FLASH and Conventional Dosimetry With a 3D Printed Anatomically Realistic Mouse Phantom

PurposeWe conducted a multi-institutional dosimetric audit between FLASH and conventional dose rate (CONV) electron irradiations by using an anatomically realistic 3D-printed mouse phantom. MethodsA CT scan of a live mouse was used to create a 3D model of bony anatomy, lungs, and soft tissue. A dual-nozzle 3D printer was used to print the mouse phantom using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (∼1.02 g/cm3) and polylactic acid (∼1.24 g/cm3) simultaneously to simulate soft tissue and bone densities, respectively. The lungs were printed separately using lightweight polylactic acid (∼0.64 g/cm3). Hounsfield units (HU), densities and print-to-print stability of the phantoms were assessed. Three institutions were each provided a phantom, and each institution performed two replicates of irradiations at selected anatomic regions. The average dose difference between FLASH and CONV dose distributions and deviation from the prescribed dose were measured with radiochromic film. ResultsCompared to the reference CT scan, CT scans of the phantom demonstrated mass density differences of 0.10 g/cm3 for bone, 0.12 g/cm3 for lung, and 0.03 g/cm3 for soft tissue regions. Differences in HU between phantoms were <10 HU for soft tissue and bone, with lung showing the most variation (54 HU), but with minimal impact on dose distribution (<0.5%). Mean differences between FLASH and CONV decreased from the first to the second replicate (4.3% to 1.2%), while differences from the prescribed dose decreased for both CONV (3.6% to 2.5%) and FLASH (6.4% to 2.7%). Total dose accuracy suggests consistent pulse dose and pulse number, though these were not specifically assessed. Positioning variability was observed, likely due to the absence of robust positioning aids or image guidance. ConclusionsThis study marks the first dosimetric audit for FLASH using a non-homogeneous phantom, challenging conventional calibration practices reliant on homogeneous phantoms. The comparison protocol offers a framework for credentialing multi-institutional studies in FLASH preclinical research to enhance reproducibility of biological findings.

Pengaruh Proses Annealing Terhadap Akurasi Dimensi Dan Kuat Tarik 3D Printing Menggunakan Filamen ST-PLA

3D printing is a tool used to make objects / test specimens in 3 dimensions, using the main material made from polymer. In 3D printers there are two types of filaments that are often used today, namely Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) material and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), the material used in this study is PLA material, this material was chosen because it has several advantages. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biodegradable thermoplastics have been used in various industrial fields including automotive, computer, food, and electrical equipment also used in medical devices, PLA is a biodegradable thermoplastic sourced from natural starches such as corn and sugarcane. Therefore, this study aims to find the highest tensile strength in PLA materials using several levels of testing, The highest tensile test result at one parameter level will be carried out by the annealing process to determine the effect of the annealing process on the tensile test specimen. The research method used in this study is the Taguchi method designed L9 with 3 factors and 3 levels, using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) analysis method. The test results showed that the highest tensile strength was located in study number 5, which was 44.866 Mpa, and the lowest average tensile test value was in study number 4, which was 40.033 Mpa.

Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Plastic Cosmetic Packaging: A Multi-Attribute Life Cycle Assessment

The global packaging industry has been growing significantly, resulting in an increase in waste and emissions. Social responsibilities, regulations and targets are shifting companies’ priorities to various sustainable practices. This study comprised a life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify and compare key initiatives influencing the sustainability of plastic cosmetic packaging. The life cycle environmental effects of dematerialisation, recycled content, energy-saving initiatives and renewable energy powering the manufacturing processes, and the end-of-life (EoL) recycling rates of various scenarios, were evaluated. Moreover, a variety of fossil-based and bio-based polymers, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), wood–polymer composite (WPC) and polylactic acid (PLA), were considered. The study determined that dematerialisation and recycled content had the most beneficial impacts on packaging sustainability. When 100% recycled materials were used, an overall impact reduction of 42–60% was noted for all the materials considered. Using 100% renewable energy and applying measures to reduce the energy consumption in the manufacturing stage by 50% reduced the total impact by approximately 9–17% and 7–13%, respectively. Furthermore, it was concluded that PP had the lowest environmental impacts in the majority of the case scenarios considered, by an average of 46%.

Evaluation on Material Anisotropy of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Printed via Fused Deposition Modelling

Thermoplastic polymers are widely used in industry to generate parts with reasonable production costs, lightweight, chemical stability, sustainability, and recyclability compared to other materials such as metals, metalloids, or even thermoset polymers. The innovative additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, e.g., fused deposition modelling (FDM), can be used to fabricate thermoplastic products with complex geometries and specific properties. However, the mechanical integrity of those FDM-printed plastic parts can be greatly impacted by a phenomenon named material anisotropy. In this study, an experimental study on a popular 3D printing polymer material—acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)—is performed to determine how FDM process parameters affect the mechanical properties of the printed ABS parts. This study uniquely concentrates on investigating mechanical anisotropy in FDM-printed ABS, delving into a combination of key printing parameters for a comprehensive exploration. Meanwhile, a finite-element-based numerical analysis is also utilised to numerically evaluate the influences of infill percentage and build orientations on the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed ABS materials for comparison. It generates a better understanding of material anisotropy and helps to find the optimal FDM process parameters to print high-quality ABS parts and may attract industrial interests in transitioning from traditional ABS part production methods such as injection moulding or hot pressing to additive manufacturing.

Investigation of the structure-property relation for graphene oxide based acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposites

The improvement of the structure-property relation in nanocomposites between different polymer matrices and the embedded nano-additives has become a strategic blueprint for many academic counterparts around the globe. In this work, different loadings of graphene oxide (GO) varied from 1.0 to 3.0 wt. % were mixed with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) using solution casting approach. The resulted nanocomposites underwent to spectral, structural, morphological, mechanical, thermal and thermomechanical tests. Different kinds of instruments associated with each test were employed to draw a professional conclusion about the potential improvement in structure-property relation. The targeted improvement was achieved as spectral, structural and morphological investigations confirmed the interaction, structural variation, and good dispersion of GO in ABS; respectively. Furthermore, as GO loadings went higher, the mechanical, thermal, and thermomechanical performances for the nanocomposites were improved compared to the neat polymer. Young’s modulus, tensile strength, thermal decomposition, and visco-elastic properties showed an enhancement compared to the neat polymer. The mechanical and thermomechanical performances for the nanocomposites recorded significant promotions.