3-D printer settings effects on the thermal conductivity of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

Fused deposition modeling (also known as 3-D printing) utilizes a molten plastic filament passed through a heated nozzle to fabricate a three-dimensional object. Various printer settings (i.e. layer height, fill density, print speed, nozzle diameter) of a 3-D printer can be adjusted, which on a macro scale affect the print time and test piece finish (i.e. smaller layer height lead to a fully smooth surface). Many studies have reported effects of printer settings on mechanical properties. This study uses a macroscale and micron-scale approach to characterize effects of 3-D printer settings on thermal conductivity of 3-D printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The highest thermal conductivity value of 0.25 (+/- 0.05) W/m-K was achieved with a printed layer height of 0.4 mm and 100% fill density. This study shows print times can be reduced by as much as 80% while maintaining thermal performance. These general results influence many commonly available printer materials as well as unique materials under development.