Mechanical and Electrical Properties Investigation of 3D-Printed Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Graphene and Carbon Nanocomposites

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) nanocomposite filaments for 3D-printing were produced by melt compounding and extrusion. Two types of nanoadditives were employed: (a) graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) at various concentrations and (b) carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer was used for the fabrication of specimens, according to international standards to be employed for the determination of the tension and flexural mechanical properties of the specimens and the correlation with their microstructure. Nanocomposite filaments were also tested in tension, to evaluate the effect of 3D printing on the material. Moreover, the electrical properties of the specimens were also determined. As found out, a decrease in the tensile strength, the tensile modulus of elasticity, the flexural strength, and the flexural modulus of elasticity can be observed with the increase in the GnP concentration, in every case. ABS specimens filled with CNTs exhibited higher tensile and flexural strength and a more brittle behavior when compared to pure ABS and ABS with GnP. Regarding the electrical properties of the composites, it was found that dielectric constant increases by increasing GnP content, the specimens remaining at the same time rather nonconductive, even at a concentration of 10 wt.% in GnP. In contrast, ABS filled with CNTs at a concentration of 10% illustrated a large conductivity.