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Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a rapid manufacturing technology that builds layer-by-layer solid object from particulate materials. Nowadays there are materials that are used to produce prototypes and end-user parts. Powders might be made from metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. The union or fusion of the particles is made by the energy provided by a heated environment and a laser beam. Parts are built based on data extracted from its CAD design. The process has many variables that directly affect the mechanical properties of the parts. One important and direct processing parameter is laser energy density. This work evaluated the effect of the variation of the energy density in the mechanical properties of a polymeric material by changing laser beam speed and average power. The analyzed variables were stress at 10% of elongation, flexural modulus, and density of the samples built with polyamide 2200 (PA2200-EOSINT) using a CO 2 laser (10 W). Specimens obtained by combination of different laser powers (2.7, 3.4, and 4.1 W) and laser scan speeds (39.0, 44.5, and 50.0 mm/s) were submitted to flexural tests. Additionally, volumetric density was calculated with mass and physical dimensions of specimens, and micrograph were taken using scanning electron microscope to analyze the changes of the sintering degree. The results indicated that laser power had more influence over density and mechanical properties than scan speed. The microstructures presented good correlation with the statistical results.

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In this study HDPE specimens were fabricated by selective laser sintering using different particle sizes to obtain controlled variations in the porosity. Electron microscopy, density measurements and mechanical analyses were conducted for the characterization of the specimens. Parts with controlled pore gradients were also manufactured and characterized. The specimens with larger particle sizes had a high sintering degree and a significant level of close pores, as shown by microscopy and density analyses. However, the mechanical properties of specimens prepared with large particles had low values due to the limited density of union points, i.e., low neck number/area. HDPE parts with pore gradients were prepared by selective laser sintering demonstrating that this technique can be used to easily control the structure and the properties of the parts manufactured. This technology may have applications in areas such as drug delivery devices and scaffolds for tissue engineering

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