3D-printed and injection molded polymer matrix composites with 2D layered materials

Abstract

Two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs), MoS2 and WS2, and three-dimensional (3D) graphite were infused in thermoplastic polymer matrices comprised of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Two processing approaches were examined for creating polymer tensile test specimens using the composites for mechanical testing, which included three-dimensional (3D) printing and injection molding. The ductility generally decreased with the addition of the fillers indicated by an increase in Young’s modulus and a corresponding decrease in yield stress and tensile stress for the 2DLM-polymer composites. The dynamic friction data of the composites were measured in an attempt to exploit the solid phase lubricating properties of graphite and the 2DLM fillers. Graphite proved to lower the dynamic friction in the cases of 3D printed PETG and injection molded ABS, while MoS2 and WS2 were found to reduce friction in 3D printed PETG and ABS. Finally, the thermal conductivities of these polymer matrix composites were measured and compared to the pure polymer matrices. The thermal conductivity increased in both ABS and PETG composites containing graphite, MoS2, and WS2, irrespective of their processing routes. The use of 2DLM-based polymer composites remains an area of interest for a wide range of applications in the future, such as wearable electronics and sensors with low-cost additive manufacturing approaches.

Polymer Composites Based on Polycarbonate (PC) Applied to Additive Manufacturing Using Melted and Extruded Manufacturing (MEM) Technology

“…Analyzing the results of the static tensile strength tests listed in Figure 8 , it was observed that the addition of CN causes a decrease in the Young’s modulus of the samples, regardless of the technique of their production, which correlates with the results of hardness and impact strength and confirms the reduction in the stiffness of these materials. We also observe a decrease in stress at break for these tested composites [ 45 ]. The obtained results for the shapes obtained by the 3D method may be directly related to the increase in the degree of porosity after the introduction of CN into the polymer, but also to the lower dimensional stability of composites containing CN compared to PC ( Table 4 ).…”

Investigation on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured PETG composites reinforced with OMMT nanoclay and carbon fibers

“…Nanoparticle inclusions are yet another effective method to improve the thermal and mechanical properties of PETG composites. [21] Addition of sepiolite nanoparticles to PETG matrices showed better physical properties when they were 3D printed over injection molding. [22] The high oriented behavior of sepiolite particles in the former is responsible for this behavior.…”

3D Printed Liquid Crystal Polymer Thermosiphon for Heat Transfer under Vacuum

“…The gas-barrier performance of FFF printed LCP elements is attributed to two aspects: i) the low permeability of the LCP material itself, and ii) the optimized printing parameters to reduce defects, without the use of postprocessing, which has implications for resource usage and recyclability. [17][18][19]31] Our contribution falls under the second aspect, where we investigated ideal printing parameters to reduce defects and maintain low permeability. Additionally, we demonstrate the effect of printing parameters on the crystalline and noncrystalline regions in Figure 2; and the Supporting Information S3.…”

“…However, the critical performance characteristics of heat pipes, i.e., high gas barrier and mechanical strength to maintain vacuum pressure, are more challenging to achieve compared to the metal sintering techniques. To achieve vacuum compatibility for polymer FFF 3D printed parts require considerable time‐ and resource‐intensive postprocessing, e.g., annealing polymer‐metal composites, [ 17 ] coating with a sealant or metal electroplating [ 18 ] to improve vacuum performance. Large‐scale architectural applications, as we describe in Section 3.3, requires larger postprocessing equipment (ovens, and solution containers).…”