Dielectric Properties of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid

Abstract

3D printers constitute a fast-growing worldwide market. These printers are often employed in research and development fields related to engineering or architecture, especially for structural components or rapid prototyping. Recently, there is enormous progress in available materials for enhanced printing systems that allow additive manufacturing of complex functional products, like batteries or electronics. The polymer polylactic acid (PLA) plays an important role in fused filament fabrication, a technique used for commercially available low-budget 3D printers. This printing technology is an economical tool for the development of functional components or cases for electronics, for example, for lab purposes. Here we investigate if the material properties of “as-printed” PLA, which was fabricated by a commercially available 3D printer, are suitable to be used in electrical measurement setups or even as a functional material itself in electronic devices. For this reason, we conduct differential scanning calorimetry measurements and a thorough temperature and frequency-dependent analysis of its dielectric properties. These results are compared to partially crystalline and completely amorphous PLA, indicating that the dielectric properties of “as-printed” PLA are similar to the latter. Finally, we demonstrate that the conductivity of PLA can be enhanced by mixing it with the ionic liquid “trihexyl tetradecyl phosphonium decanoate.” This provides a route to tailor PLA for complex functional products produced by an economical fused filament fabrication.

Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters

“…To date, the most common technique for 3D printing of PLA is fused deposition modeling [ 12 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Printing parameters such as build orientation, layer thickness, raster angle, raster width, air gap, infill density and pattern, feed rate and others directly influence the quality and the mechanical properties of the FDM printed parts [ 35 ].…”

Crystallization and dielectric behaviour of PLA and PHBV in PLA/PHBV blends and PLA/PHBV/TiO2 nanocomposites

“…Badia et al [31] linked this relaxation to the specific movements of the terminal polar groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and ester in the PLA branches. The PLA α-relaxation has a peak maximum at around 75°C and is associated with the long-range cooperative chain motions as we pass through the glass transition temperature (T g ) region [28][29][30][31][32]. The MWS relaxation above T g is linked to the conduction behavior due to motions of the charge carriers and their accumulation at the interface of the crystalline and glassy phases of the polymer [31,32].…”

“…The PLA α-relaxation has a peak maximum at around 75°C and is associated with the long-range cooperative chain motions as we pass through the glass transition temperature (T g ) region [28][29][30][31][32]. The MWS relaxation above T g is linked to the conduction behavior due to motions of the charge carriers and their accumulation at the interface of the crystalline and glassy phases of the polymer [31,32]. The neat PHBV sample exhibits three relaxations namely the PHBV β-relaxation and α-relaxations, and the MWS relaxation, as shown in Figure 1b.…”

A Full-Dielectric Chiral Material Based on a Honeycomb Structure

“…Periodical (unit cell) boundary conditions were used in the lateral walls. The electrical characteristics of the medium were ε r = 2 57 tan δ = 0 0039, and μ r = 1 (these are the measured characteristics of a 3D-printed ABS medium [32]). The scattering parameters for perpendicular incidence are shown in Figure 2.…”