Friction Behavior of 3D-printed Polymeric Materials Used in Sliding Systems

Abstract

Recently, 3D-printed polymeric materials have been successfully replacing the usual ones especially used in sliding systems like couplings. Among the polymeric materials, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) can be the competitive materials in such application after 3D-printing. In this study, 3D printing was used to produce samples from ABS and PLA via fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology. Then friction behavior of 3D-printed samples was investigated depending on printing orientation of the samples. Ultra High Molecular Polyethylene Weight (UHMWPE), as a well-known industrial polymer, was also used for comparing the friction behavior of 3D-printed ABS and PLA polymers. Friction tests were conducted using a pin-on-plate type tribometer according to ASTM G133 under different applied loads and sliding speeds at room temperature. It was found that printing orientation of all ABS and PLA samples has a considerable effect on their friction behavior. Transverse direction (T.D) of the 3D-printed samples shows higher coefficient of friction (COF) values than the longitudinal direction under all applied loads and sliding speeds. On the other hand, COF values obtained in both 3D-printed samples increase as the load and speed increase regardless of the printing direction. When both 3D-printed materials are compared, PLA samples exhibit lower COF values than ABS samples in both printing directions and under all loads and speeds. However, the UHMWPE sample produced with traditional method shows much lower COF values and stable change in friction behavior under all conditions compared to 3D-printed PLA and ABS samples.

Optimization of 3D Printing Parameters for Enhanced Surface Quality and Wear Resistance

“…The comparative results from Figure 8 show, overall, that for smaller layer thicknesses, PLA samples have a greater coefficient of friction compared to ABS. For 0.2 mm layer thickness, the situation is the opposite, a similar conclusion as in [ 71 ], where 1 mm layer thickness was used.…”

“…The graphics from Figure 10 reveal that all surface roughness parameters have greater values for ABS samples compared with PLA, regardless of the considered printing parameters. Opposite, the results from [ 71 ] showed that for longitudinal printing direction, the R a parameter was greater for PLA samples than for ABS, but an infill percentage of 20% and a layer thickness of 1 mm were used. The parameters R t and R z are not strongly influenced by printing parameters, unlike R a which increases with layer thickness for both analyzed materials.…”

“…In a related study [ 71 ], the primary focus was examining the friction characteristics of 3D-printed samples. The study observed that the transverse direction of the printed samples exhibited higher coefficient of friction values compared to the longitudinal direction, regardless of the applied loads and sliding speeds.…”

Comparison of Friction Performance of Polyether ether ketone Fabricated Using Different Methods Under Dry Sliding Conditions

“…The 3Dprinted sheets of PLA and ABS were investigated using a pin-on-plate tribometer slid in longitudinal and transverse directions. The study for two-layer orientations showed higher friction coe cients when sliding in the transverse direction at different loads [11].…”

Synergistic Effect of Carbon Micro/Nano-Fillers and Surface Patterning on the Superlubric Performance of 3D-Printed Structures

“…Past studies have shown that friction is preferably suppressed on surfaces featuring some type of structural patterning, as compared to microscopically, or even atomically, flat ones [ 7 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Surface patterning is a highly popular strategy for the enhancement of the macroscale tribological performance of materials, due to the dual role of the pattern: under hydrodynamic lubrication, it improves the mechanical performance of the lubricating film, while under dry sliding, it acts as a wear debris depository.…”