Material Extrusion Research Articles

Manufacturing and characterization of functionally gradient material from cemented carbide to diamond via filament-based material extrusion 3D printing

Functionally gradient material (FGM) fabricating via additive manufacturing draws great attention on alleviating the abrupt material discontinuity at the interface of different materials. Introducing gradient structure into polycrystalline diamond composites to produce diamond/cemented carbide FGM is an effective method to reduce the residual stress and enhance the bonding strength of diamond layer and cemented carbide substrate. However, achieving a smooth transition of material properties from cemented carbide to diamond is challenging. In this research, diamond/cemented carbide FGM with a well-controlled gradient was manufactured via filament-based material extrusion. Initially, green bodies of diamond/cemented carbide FGM were obtained by printing with customized composite filaments. Subsequently, thermal decomposition characteristic of the printing filament was analyzed by TGA, and the influence of different heating rates during the binder decomposition stage on the morphology and structure of the green bodies was investigated. After debinding, diamond/cemented carbide FGM without flaw was synthesized at 6.5 GPa and 1550℃. Subsequently, microstructure characterization was performed to investigate the distribution characteristics of the materials inside the diamond/cemented carbide FGM. A continuous transition from tungsten carbide to diamond was achieved inside the gradient layer. Furthermore, the stress state of diamond in different positions of the diamond/cemented carbide FGM was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. It was found that all the residual stresses in the axial interface of the gradient layer were compressive stress, which can prevent occurrence of microcracks resulted from the tensile stresses formed in the interface. Finally, the impact tests reveal that gradient structure is conductive to improving the bond strength between PCD layer and cemented carbide substrate as the impact times before fracture of diamond/cemented carbide FGM has been increased by 15 %. The gradient structure design strategy, generated via the filament-based material extrusion technology, pioneers new ideas to the development of high-performance FGMs in mass production.

Enhanced interlayer strength in 3D-printed PA12 composites via electromagnetic induction post-processing

Weak interlayer strength remains a critical limitation in the application of material extrusion 3D-printed parts. Herein, a non-contact method, electromagnetic induction post-processing, is proposed to address this issue. This method aims to enhance the weak interlayer strength of 3D-printed PA12 samples by introducing Fe3O4 particles for induced heat generation under alternating magnetic fields. The heat generation characteristics, surface morphology, crystallization behavior, and interlayer performance of 3D-printed samples subjected to induction post-processing are systematically investigated. The results indicate that a remarkable improvement in the interlayer strength of 3D-printed PA12 samples can be achieved through induction post-processing. Tensile strength along the Z-direction (perpendicular to the printing plane) exhibits a distinct increase of 218.3 %, while interlayer tear strength can rise by 328.1 %. Improvement in interlayer strength results from heat generation driving interfacial resin diffusion. Additionally, induction post-processing results in localized surface smoothing and a slight reduction in the crystallinity of the 3D-printed sample. Compared to traditional methods like in-oven heat treatment (annealing), induction post-processing offers higher efficiency by circumventing the initial constraints of heat transfer. Furthermore, the concept of selective induction heating (SIH) is proposed to achieve non-contact, localized heating by adjusting the composition of thermoplastics during printing. SIH holds good promise for applications in 3D-printed continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, including mold-free forming, complex surface welding, and repair (particularly in narrow and inaccessible areas).

Force controlled printing for material extrusion additive manufacturing

In material extrusion additive manufacturing, the extrusion process is commonly controlled in a feed-forward fashion. The amount of material to be extruded at each printing location is pre-computed by a planning software. This approach is inherently unable to adapt the extrusion to external and unexpected disturbances, and the quality of the results strongly depends on a number of modeling and tuning parameters. To overcome these limitations, we propose the first framework for Force Controlled Printing for material extrusion additive manufacturing. We utilize a custom-built extruder to measure the extrusion force in real time, and use feedback on this quantity to continuously control the material flow in closed-loop. We demonstrate the existence of a strong correlation between extrusion force and line width, which we exploit to deposit lines of desired width in a width range of 33% up to 233% of the nozzle diameter. We also show how Force Controlled Printing outperforms conventional feed-forward extrusion in print quality and disturbance rejection, while requiring little tuning and automatically adapting to changes in the hardware settings. Our results demonstrate that Force Controlled Printing can deposit lines of desired width under severe disturbances in bed leveling, such as at layer heights ranging between 20% and 200% of the nominal height.

A novel electric field-assisted material extrusion process for clean additive manufacturing

Material extrusion (MEX) is a type of additive manufacturing technique that is widely used in a variety of applications. However, the issue of reduced quality of printed parts caused by degraded polymer debris accumulation on the nozzle surface during the MEX process has received very limited attention. This work presents a novel electric field-assisted MEX (E-MEX) method to solve the quality issue by significantly reducing the accumulations of polymer debris on the nozzle. By applying a high-voltage power source between the nozzle and the build plate, an electrostatic force was generated to overcome the which showed great potential to reduce the accumulation of molten thermoplastic material on the nozzles. Both the E-MEX and conventional MEX methods were used to print test specimens for specific amounts of time to confirm the efficacy of the E-MEX method. 3D scanning was used to quantify the volumes of debris that had accumulated on the nozzle. Compared to the conventional MEX method, the E-MEX printing reduced debris accumulation by 47 % after about 5 h and over 80 % after about 15 h of the printing process. The changes in electric field intensity over orienting height were analyzed using numerical simulations. The relationship between electric field intensity and time spent by the nozzle during the printing process at a specific height was established. The polymer accumulation in the E-MEX process was found to be dependent on the electric field intensity and the continuous time spent by the nozzle in the weaker electric field enhanced polymer debris accumulations on the nozzle surfaces. The presented study integrates experimental observations with simulation results, revealing the mechanism of debris accumulation on the nozzle when the electric field decreased to a certain level during printing process. A numerical simulation model was developed to understand the traveling of accumulated polymer debris from the nozzle's outer surface to the printing layer under the influence of electrostatic force. The simulation results showed that the dragging of polymer debris towards the build plate occurs when the electric force acting in the tangential and normal direction is sufficient to overcome the viscous force and normal force in the polymer debris. The simulation results also showed some part of the debris remained in the crease area of the nozzle surface due to the viscous and surface tension forces prevailing over the electric force.

Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials-PLA and PETG-For Biomechanical Applications.

The study presented herein concerns the mechanical properties of two common polymers for potential biomedical applications, PLA and PETG, processed through fused filament fabrication (FFF)-Material Extrusion (ME). For the uniaxial tension tests carried out, two printing orientations-XY (Horizontal, H) and YZ (Vertical, V)-were considered according to the general principles for part positioning, coordinates, and orientation typically used in additive manufacturing (AM). In addition, six specimens were tested for each printing orientation and material, providing insights into mechanical properties such as Tensile Strength, Young's Modulus, and Ultimate Strain, suggesting the materials' potential for biomedical applications. The experimental results were then compared with correspondent mechanical properties obtained from the literature for other polymers like ASA, PC, PP, ULTEM 9085, Copolyester, and Nylon. Thereafter, fatigue resistance curves (S-N curves) for PLA and PETG, printed along 45°, were determined at room temperature for a load ratio, R, of 0.2. Scanning electron microscope observations revealed fibre arrangements, compression/adhesion between layers, and fracture zones, shedding light on the failure mechanisms involved in the fatigue crack propagation of such materials and giving design reference values for future applications. In addition, fractographic analyses of the fatigue fracture surfaces were carried out, as well as X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) and Thermogravimetric (TGA)/Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) tests.

High-precision BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics via vat photopolymerization 3D printing

BaTiO3 ceramics with high precision and superior performance are fabricated by vat photopolymerization 3D printing technology. The curing behaviors and photosensitive mechanisms are systematically investigated. Through the optimization of printing parameters, BaTiO3 ceramics with a high relative density of 95 % and few defects are obtained. Notably, the sintered BaTiO3 ceramics exhibit impressive properties, including a high piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 201 pC/N and strong ferroelectric characteristics with a maximum polarization Pmax of 31.4 μC/cm2 and residual polarization Pr of 18.5 μC/cm2. More importantly, a series of complex BaTiO3 structures including the body-centered cubic lattice and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures are created perfectly with the feature size as fine as 75 μm. Compared with other reported BaTiO3 structures printed by vat photopolymerization and material extrusion technologies, this work realizes a much higher printing resolution. The excellent performance and high precision of these BaTiO3 ceramics make them great potential for practical applications in piezoelectric components.

Adapted Design Process for Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Additive Manufacturing-A Methodological Framework.

Continuous fiber-reinforced material extrusion is an emerging additive manufacturing process that builds components layer by layer by extruding a continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic strand. This novel manufacturing process combines the benefits of additive manufacturing with the mechanical properties and lightweight potential of composite materials, making it a promising approach for creating high-strength end products. The field of design for additive manufacturing has developed to provide suitable methods and tools for such emerging processes. However, continuous fiber-reinforced material extrusion, as a relatively new technology, has not been extensively explored in this context. Designing components for this process requires considering both restrictive and opportunistic aspects, such as extreme anisotropy and opportunities for functional integration. Existing process models and methods do not adequately address these specific needs. To bridge this gap, a tailored methodology for designing continuous fiber-reinforced material extrusion is proposed, building on established process models. This includes developing process-specific methods and integrating them into the process model, such as a process selection analysis to assess the suitability of the method and a decision model for selecting the process for highly stressed components. Additionally, a detailed design process tailored to continuous fiber-reinforced material extrusion is presented. The application of the developed process model is demonstrated through a case study.

Effects of different binder systems on the characteristics of metal-based diamond composites fabricated via fused deposition modeling and sintering technology

In material extrusion of metal-based composites, binder system plays a vital role and its performance directly influences the quality of the final product and process efficiency. Despite different binder systems have been produced, most studies only concentrated on single binder system without comparison between different binder systems. In this work, two different binder systems were used to fabricate metal-based diamond composites by fused deposition modeling and sintering technology. Morphology of printed metal-based composites samples were compared. Thermal properties of composites samples with different binder systems were analyzed via TG-DSC test, and debinding was carried out at heating rate of 5 °C/min and 2 °C/min, respectively. Then the brown samples were densified via hot-pressing sintering, and the sintered samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, hardness tester and universal testing machine. During the printing process, the feedstock using TP-based binder system exhibited better printing performance compared with that using the PW-based binder system. The results also revealed that appropriate nozzle temperature should be determined according to the thermal properties of the feedstocks so as to minimize printing defects. The debinded samples with different binder systems can retain structural integrity when the heating rate controlled properly. As for the samples after sintering, it has to be highlighted that the hardness on the top surface of the sintered sample was higher than the hardness on the side because of different deposition characteristics. In addition, the samples using TP-based binder presented a more uniform microstructure and thus obtained better flexural strength and relative density. It can be concluded that the TP-based binder is preferable as it contributes to better performance of the metal-based diamond composites compared with the PW-based binder.

Evaluation of mechanical properties characterization of additively manufactured components

AbstractAdditive manufacturing by material extrusion offers innovative potential for component design and is driving advances in many industries. However, fully harnessing these advancements necessitates a thorough comprehension of the process-specific anisotropic structural properties. The complex interactions between process parameters and their direct influence on structural properties often lead to discrepancies between the mechanical properties of tested specimens at the coupon level and the inherent properties of additively manufactured components. In addition, there is no standardized method for preparing specimens that represent the mechanical properties within a given component. This further complicates the comparison of measured properties of different series of measurements and the investigation of manufacturing effects that may occur during the production of a component. Given these challenges, the present work addresses the fundamental question of what aspects need to be considered to ensure that the test specimens reflect the process conditions being tested. The studies look at the requirements for producing representative specimens and for the test methodology to characterize the mechanical properties of additively manufactured structures. The tests are carried out on specimens that were produced directly using the material extrusion process and on specimens that were cut from additively manufactured plates. Water jet cutting, milling, and laser cutting are investigated and compared as cutting methods. The influence of the specimen geometry and the size of the additively manufactured plate is considered. The orientation-dependent mechanical properties, the significance of the individual tests, the measurement scatter, and scanning electron micrographs of the cut edges and fracture surfaces are analyzed. Finally, guidelines for performing representative tests to characterize the mechanical properties of additively manufactured components are proposed.

Tailoring mechanical properties of FDM-3D-printed parts through titanium dioxide-reinforced resin filling technique

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a type of additive manufacturing that falls under the category of material extrusion. Building an object using FDM involves layer-by-layer selective deposition of melted material along a predetermined path. However, FDM parts are inherently anisotropic, meaning their mechanical properties vary depending on the direction of loading, which makes them prone to failure under transverse loads. This study introduces a novel post-processing technique to enhance the mechanical properties of FDM parts. Unlike conventional FDM printing, this study explores a post-processing technique where TiO2-infused resin is injected into the internal voids of printed parts to reinforce their structure. Compared to unfilled counterparts, resin filled structures exhibited significant improvements in tensile strength (up to 40%) and impact energy (up to 28%). A 20% infill density was found to offer a cost-effective balance between material usage and performance, while 2% wt. TiO2 achieved the optimal balance between reinforcement and dispersion, exceeding the performance gains of other concentrations. SEM analysis confirmed effective TiO2 dispersion at lower concentrations, leading to smoother surfaces and potentially improved mechanical properties. This technique presents a promising approach for fabricating high-performance FDM parts with enhanced strength and toughness.

Material extrusion of high-density SiCp/7075Al composite via a high nitrogen-flowing assisted sintering

Material extrusion additive manufacturing of particle-reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) attracts attention due to the features of uniformly sintered microstructure, easy-to-handle and low cost. However, 3D Al-MMC suffers from poor sinterability due to the stable alumina layer on alloy powder, and difficulty in removing of binders at low temperature. Here, we propose a high nitrogen-flow sintering approach for the thermal debinding and sintering of as-printed SiC particle-reinforced 7075Al (SiCp/7075Al) MMC, without using cumbersome high-vacuum system or pressure-assisted densification. Microcrystalline wax-based granular feedstock was developed based on contact angle testing experiment, which shows typical shear-thinning behavior and satisfactory printing performance. Roles of printing parameters and nitrogen flow rate in the microstructure, phases and mechanical properties of SiCp/7075Al MMC are investigated. Nitrogen flow rate of 2–2.5 L/min accelerates the breaking of oxide film, with the precipitation of intergranular MgAl2O4, Mg2Si phases, and intragranular Al2Cu phases. 3D SiCp/7075Al MMC with a high relative density of 97% and tensile strength of 308 MPa after heat treatment (HT) was achieved based on optimized printing parameters. The availability of high dense structure, combined with controlled microstructure, low-energy demand and low cost, provides a facile route for the application of 3D Al-MMC by material extrusion.

Recent Holocene activity and regional tectonic significance of the northern segment of the red river fault zone

The Red River Fault Zone is a large-scale right-lateral strike-slip fault zone with relatively strong activity during the Quaternary Period. This fault, located on the southeastern margin of the Qinghai‒Tibetan Plateau, plays a key role in the extrusion, rotation and escape of the continental blocks constituting the Qinghai‒Tibetan Plateau. Furthermore, this fault represents the southwestern boundary of the Sichuan–Yunnan Block, which has experienced strong deformation and frequent seismic activity. The northern segment of the Red River Fault Zone is the most active part of the whole fault. However, surface erosion and vegetation coverage have obscured the activity of the northern segment; therefore, the study of its activity has obviously been insufficient. There is still controversy over whether all the secondary faults on the northern segment are active Holocene faults. Studying the activity characteristics of the northern segment, which is densely populated, is particularly important for seismic risk prevention in this area. Based on remote sensing interpretations and field geological surveys, this paper describes the latest activity characteristics of the Cangshan Piedmont Fault, Fengyi–Dingxiling Fault and Midu Basin Margin Fault, including their spatial distributions and kinematic characteristics. According to the ages of the offset strata in profiles, the above three secondary faults were all active in the late Holocene. The latest active age of the Cangshan Piedmont Fault was later than 543-494 cal BP, and two palaeoseismic events that occurred in this section during the Holocene occurred at 2700 and 473 cal BP. The latest active age of the Fengyi–Dingxiling Fault was later than 2760–2700 cal BP; in this section, one Holocene palaeoseismic event occurred between 1777 cal BP and 2730 cal BP, another occurred between 2730 cal BP and 5664 cal BP, and the third occurred between 6449 cal BP and 8360 cal BP. The latest active age of the Midu Basin Margin Fault was later than 558-510 cal BP, and two Holocene palaeoseismic events occurred later than 2318-2114 cal BP and 558-510 cal BP. Based on the results of this paper and previous studies, we believe that the Fengyi–Dingxiling Fault on the northern segment of the Red River Fault Zone is at risk for future strong earthquakes. Additionally, abundant geological and geomorphologic evidence suggests that the northern segment is dominated by normal faults, reflecting the local strain response to secondary clockwise rotation of the Sichuan–Yunnan Block along the boundary fault. This finding is in line with the eastwards extrusion and escape of materials on the Qinghai‒Tibetan Plateau caused by the northwards and northeastwards pushing of the Indian Plate. To a certain extent, these observations reflect the tectonic deformation coordination between block rotation and boundary fault slip in the Sichuan–Yunnan Block in the context of continental block extrusion on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.

The role of the fiber–matrix interface in the tensile properties of short fiber–reinforced 3D‐printed polylactic acid composites

AbstractIn this study, we investigate the relationship between structure and properties of fiber–matrix adhesion for material extrusion–based 3‐dimensional (3D) printed composites. We examine the influence of fiber length and fiber content on the tensile properties of glass, basalt, and carbon fiber–reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites. Short fiber–reinforced filaments were produced, then, simple micromechanical models were used to predict the in‐plane tensile properties. We found that interlayer tensile properties are strongly influenced by fiber–matrix adhesion. If adhesion is sufficient, the fibers and matrix deform together under tensile load. A second‐order relationship describes interlayer tensile strength in relation to fiber content between 5 and 25 w%, with a maximum at 15 w%, for carbon and basalt fiber–reinforced composites. If adhesion is weak, the crack propagates along the fiber–matrix interface, causing brittle fracture and low strength. This behavior was noted for the glass fiber composite, for which the calculated interface shear strength was the lowest (1.4 MPa). In this case, fiber content is inversely proportional to interlayer tensile strength. Our results show the role of fiber–matrix adhesion quality on tensile properties, which has a major impact on both the accuracy of predictions and the damage processes.Highlights Critical fiber length determines accuracy of tensile property estimates Quality of fiber–matrix adhesion governs interlayer damage process Poor adhesion causes brittle fracture and low strength Second‐order relationship of interlayer tensile strength and fiber content Loss of interlayer tensile strength in composite due to fiber–matrix interface

Nonlinear radiative thermal analysis of magneto-micropolar fluid over a bidirectionally extending sheet with varied thermal conditions

Thermal fluid flow analysis occasioned by stretching surfaces offers practical industrial and engineering applications, such as extrusion and drawing processes and materials experiencing heating and cooling conditions. Thus, this study explores magnetohydrodynamic micropolar fluid flow under varied thermal conditions and nonlinear thermal radiation over a dually stretched sheet subject to surface mass flux and an internal heat source. The study thus provides insight into the dynamics of heat transfer mechanisms for improving material processing techniques in many engineering processes. The flow dynamics with the thermal analysis are evaluated by applying two thermal conditions in the heat equation: the prescribed surface temperature (PST) and the prescribed heat flux (PHF). The formulated partial derivative equations that describe the current problem are changed into ordinary derivatives using some similarity quantities, while the converted equations are tackled with the combined techniques of shooting and Runge–Kutta Fehlberg. Consequently, diverse tables and figures are displayed to deliberate on the impacts of the physical terms on the dynamics of flow and heat transmission processes. The consequence of the analysis reveals a higher heat gradient in the prescribed surface temperature case than the uniform temperature distribution, as the Prandtl number magnifies. The micropolar material term reduces the surface frictional factor and depletes heat transmission, but the magnetic field term raises the skin friction coefficient.

A novel deposition strategy to reduce porosity and enhance density in material extrusion production

A novel deposition strategy to reduce porosity and enhance density in material extrusion production

Optimising Mg-Ca/PLA Composite Filaments for Additive Manufacturing: An Analysis of Particle Content, Size, and Morphology.

Low-temperature additive manufacturing of magnesium (Mg) alloy implants is considered a promising technique for biomedical applications due to Mg's inherent biocompatibility and 3D printing's capability for patient-specific design. This study explores the influence of powder volume content, size, and morphology on the mechanical properties and viscosity of polylactic acid (PLA) matrix composite filaments containing in-house-produced magnesium-calcium (Mg-Ca) particles, with a focus on their application towards low-temperature additive manufacturing. We investigated the effects of varying the Mg-Ca particle content in a PLA matrix, revealing a direct correlation between volume content and bending strength. Particle size analysis demonstrated that smaller particles (D50: 57 μm) achieved a bending strength of 63.7 MPa, whereas larger particles (D50: 105 μm) exhibited 49.6 MPa at 20 vol.%. Morphologically, the filament containing spherical particles at 20 vol.% showed a bending strength that was 11.5 MPa higher than that of the filament with irregular particles. These findings highlight the critical role of particle content, size, and shape in determining the mechanical and rheological properties of Mg-Ca/PLA composite filaments for use in material extrusion additive manufacturing.

Investigating the influence of infill patterns and mesh modifiers on fatigue properties of 3D printed polymers

This research examines the structural performance of Tough Polylactic Acid (PLA) components made through material extrusion, focusing on tensile and fatigue behaviors. Tough PLA, similar to regular PLA, exhibits improved toughness comparable to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). As the application of 3D printed parts for functional use expands, understanding the mechanical attributes of materials under both static and dynamic loading conditions is crucial. This study investigates the impact of infill pattern/density and localized reinforcement on the tensile and fatigue strength of Tough PLA samples. Digital image correlation (DIC) and optical micrographs were used to acquire surface-strain data. The findings highlight the influence of localized reinforcement and infill density. Increased infill density is associated with higher tensile strength and Young’s modulus, with specimens at 90 % infill achieving a tensile strength of 28 MPa and Young’s modulus of 0.46 GPa. Incorporating mesh modifiers can enhance tensile properties by up to 20 %. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed the significant effects of these factors on tensile strength. Fatigue test results show a grid pattern without modifiers exhibits the best fatigue life, with specimens enduring up to forty-two thousand cycles at 45 % UTS, while a line modifier balances fatigue strength and tensile properties.

Toward high-resolution 3D-printing of pharmaceutical implants – A holistic analysis of relevant material properties and process parameters

In this work, filament-based 3D-printing, the most widely used sub-category of material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM), is presented as a promising manufacturing platform for the production of subcutaneous implants. Print nozzle diameters as small as 100 µm were utilized demonstrating MEAM of advanced porous internal structures at the given cylindrical implant geometry of 2 mm × 40 mm. The bottlenecks related to high-resolution MEAM of subcutaneous implants are systematically analyzed and the print process is optimized accordingly. Custom synthesized biodegradable phase-separated poly(ether ester) multiblock copolymers exhibiting appropriate melt viscosity at comparatively low printing temperatures of 135 °C and 165 °C were utilized as 3D-printing feedstock. The print process was optimized to minimize thermomechanical polymer degradation by employing print speeds of 30 mm∙s−1 in combination with a nozzle diameter of 150 µm at layer heights of 110 µm. These results portray the basis for further development of subcutaneous implantable drug delivery systems where drug release profiles can be tailored through the adaption of the internal implant structure, which cannot be achieved using existing manufacturing techniques.

Integration of 3D printing with acoustic-assisted assembly of nanomaterials for tunable strain sensors

This study reports a novel methodology for the development of tunable strain sensors by leveraging 3D printing for structural designs and nanomaterial assembly for functional layer coating. We utilized material extrusion (MEX) to print sensor substrates using composite ink of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and silica nanoparticles. MEX allows us to create a non-uniform strain distribution of the sensor substrate by designing alternating wide and thin strips with different mechanical properties along the stretching direction. Then, we assembled nanometer-thick graphene flakes on the surface of the substrate using an acoustic-assisted dip-coating method to construct strain sensors. The graphene network on the narrow strips will experience large deformation leading to significantly increased resistance. By fixing the width of wide strips and tailoring the width ratio of the wide strip over narrow strips (r), the gauge factor can be controlled from 8.53 (r = 1:1) to 33.15 (r = 16:1). Also, by printing the narrow strips with softer PDMS, the sensitivity of the sensor can be further increased. The research pioneers the integration of 3D printing and nanomaterial assembly for strain sensors. More importantly, it paves the way for the generic design of flexible electronics and other hybrid systems of polymer and nanomaterials.

Bending Strength of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced (CFR) Polyamide-Based Composite Additively Manufactured through Material Extrusion.

This paper shows the three-point bending strength analysis of a composite material consisting of polyamide doped with chopped carbon fiber and reinforced with continuous carbon fiber produced by means of the material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing technique. For a comparison, two types of specimens were produced: unreinforced and continuous fiber-reinforced (CFR) with the use of carbon fiber. The specimens were fabricated in two orientations that assure the highest strength properties. Strength analysis was supplemented by additional digital image correlation (DIC) analysis that allowed for the identification of regions with maximum strain within the specimens. The utilization of an optical microscope enabled a fractographic examination of the fracture surfaces of the specimens. The results of this study demonstrated a beneficial effect of continuous carbon fiber reinforcement on both the stiffness and strength of the material, with an increase in flexural strength from 77.34 MPa for the unreinforced composite to 147.03 MPa for the composite reinforced with continuous carbon fiber.