Preparation and Characterization for the Thermal Stability and Mechanical Property of PLA and PLA/CF Samples Built by FFF Approach

Abstract

Currently, the mechanical performances of polylactic acid (PLA) samples prepared using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique are relatively poor. Hence, the carbon fiber (CF) is used to improve the thermal stability and mechanical property of FFF-ed PLA samples in this paper. The crystalline structure, thermal stability, melt flow rate, tensile strength and fractured surface morphology of PLA and PLA/CF samples were investigated with an X-ray diffraction device, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, melt flow rate equipment, universal tensile test machine and scanning electron microscope, respectively. Meanwhile, the reinforcement mechanism of CF on the mechanical property of PLA samples was also analyzed. XRD results revealed that the diffraction peaks intensities of PLA/CF sample were obviously lower than those of PLA sample. TGA and DSC curves illustrated that the initial thermal decomposition temperature, thermal stability and crystallinity of the PLA/CF sample improved significantly. The tensile strength of the PLA/CF sample was 91.58 MPa, which was 42.49% higher than that of the PLA sample. Moreover, SEM images showed that the fractured behavior of the PLA sample varied from brittle fracture to ductile fracture after the introduction of CF. The results concluded the CF is a feasible fiber for enhancing the performances of the PLA sample.

4D printing of porous PLA-TPU structures: effect of applied deformation, loading mode and infill pattern on the shape memory performance

“…Nowadays, 3D printing as a new method without limitations in design and construction has also created the ability to produce controllable and regular porous structures that have some advantages such as the ability of complex geometries, reproducibility and predictability of properties as well as better mechanical performance due to lack of local stress concentration due to non-uniform distribution of cavities compared to random porous structures produced by the traditional methods [18,[23][24][25][26]. Therefore, with the expansion and development of additive manufacturing technology, the applications of related fields such as smart materials have increased, and researchers continue to try to remove obstacles [27,28]. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) as a subset of the Material extrusion (MEX) method is the simplest and cheapest 3D printing technology, the mechanism of which is the extrusion of molten filament on the bed and the underlying layers based on the digital design file [29][30][31].…”

Analysis of thermomechanical stresses in dual compound thick cylinders under asymmetric loads: An analytical and numerical method

“…This study investigates the impact of heat input on the creation of intermetallic compounds (ICs) in composite structures composed of titanium and carbon steel. In their study, Cao et al [ 18 ] examined the production and attributes of PLA and PLA/CF samples using the FFF method. They showed valuable insight into these materials' thermal stability and mechanical characteristics, which might be useful for a wide range of industries.…”

Mechanical properties prediction of ductile iron with spherical graphite using multi-scale finite element model

“…As a result of the review of studies, it appears that most studies conducted so far on the effect of spherical graphite parameters on the mechanical properties of cast irons have utilized experimental tests. Finite element models have been rarely employed in prediction the mechanical behavior of structures [30][31][32]. In this study, a micromechanical model will be used for the first time to investigate the effects of graphite phase parameters on the mechanical properties of ductile irons.…”