Closing the loop in space 3D printing: Effect of vacuum, recycling, and UV aging on high performance thermoplastics produced via filament extrusion additive manufacturing

Ortega Varela de Seijas, Manuel; Piskacev, Marko; Celotti, Luca; Nadalini, Riccardo; Daurskikh, Anna; Baptista, Aurora; Berg, Marco; Caltavituro, Francesco; Major, Ian; Devine, Declan M.; Maloney, Aaron; Lafont, Ugo; Makaya, Advenit

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.03.015

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

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3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Polymers for Space Applications

Houriet,

Claassen,

Mascolo

et al. 2024

Adv Materials Technologies

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Fused Filament Fabrication is a promising manufacturing technology for the circularity of space missions. Potential scenarios include in‐orbit applications to maximize mission life and to support long‐term exploration missions with in situ manufacturing and recycling. However, its adoption is restricted by the availability of engineering polymers displaying mechanical performance combined with resistance to space conditions. Here, a thermotropic Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) is reported as a candidate material with extrusion 3D printing. To expand its scope of applicability to structural parts for space applications, four different exposure conditions are studied: thermal cycling under vacuum, atomic oxygen, UV, and electron irradiations. While 1 MeV‐electron irradiation leads to a green coloration due to annealable color centers, the mechanical performance is only slightly decreased in dynamic mode. It is also found that increased printing temperature improves transverse strength and resistance to thermal cycling with the trade‐off of tensile stiffness and strength. Samples exposed to thermal cycling and the highest irradiation dose at lower printing temperatures still display a Young's modulus of 30 GPa and 503 MPa of tensile strength which is exceptionally high for a 3D‐printed polymer. For the types of exposure studied, overall, the results indicate that LCP 3D‐printed parts are well suited for space applications.

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3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Polymers for Space Applications

Houriet,

Claassen,

Mascolo

et al. 2024

Adv Materials Technologies

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Additive manufacturing and mechanical performance of short fiber reinforced PEEK (polyether ether ketone) thermoplastic composites in a vacuum environment

Vatandaş,

Gümrük

2024

Int J Adv Manuf Technol

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Short fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (SFRTC) have gained popularity in the material extrusion (MEX) method, which is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology, allowing for the simpler and more cost-effective production of polymer composites. However, parts produced using MEX 3D printing technology often exhibit poor mechanical properties and surface quality compared to products manufactured using injection molding, which is one of the main disadvantages of this method. Various methods are used to overcome these challenges, such as production in a vacuum environment, heat-based processes, ultrasonic vibrations, and others. The objective of this study was to achieve parts with lower porosity and improved mechanical properties when printed in a vacuum environment compared to an atmospheric environment. Additionally, an investigation into the optimization of printing parameters was conducted to determine the parameters that yield the highest mechanical properties. For this purpose, SFRTC parts were printed at different vacuum levels (0.5, 10, 100 mbar), and they were subjected to flexural tests to determine their mechanical properties. The results showed that the flexural stress and elastic modulus of the samples produced in a 0.5 mbar vacuum environment increased by 79.75% and 39.41%, respectively, compared to samples produced in an atmospheric environment. Furthermore, the cross-sectional images of the samples were examined using an optical microscope, revealing the lowest porosity in the samples printed in 0.5 mbar vacuum environment.

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Fused filament fabrication of polyetheretherketone in vacuum: the influence of high vacuum on layer adhesion in z-orientation

Kühn-Kauffeldt,

Kühn,

Mittermeier

et al. 2024

Prog Addit Manuf

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The application of fused filament fabrication (FFF) in vacuum changes the heat transfer of the process. This work investigates the influence of the working ambient pressure conditions in FFF-based 3D printing of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) specimens, and its impact on the resulting part strength. Layer adhesion drastically improves with decreasing pressure, maximum layer adhesion is reached for ambient pressure below $$10^{-3}$$ 10 - 3 mbar. We show that simple and low-cost vacuum equipment is sufficient to achieve such pressure conditions, making this process interesting for the general processing of high-temperature polymers using FFF.

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Closing the loop in space 3D printing: Effect of vacuum, recycling, and UV aging on high performance thermoplastics produced via filament extrusion additive manufacturing

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Polymers for Space Applications

3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Polymers for Space Applications

Additive manufacturing and mechanical performance of short fiber reinforced PEEK (polyether ether ketone) thermoplastic composites in a vacuum environment

Fused filament fabrication of polyetheretherketone in vacuum: the influence of high vacuum on layer adhesion in z-orientation

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