Journal
POLYMERS
Volume 15, Issue 19, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/polym15193883
Keywords
additive manufacturing (AM); material extrusion (MEX); mechanical properties; polylactic acid (PLA); tungsten carbide (WC); hybrid polymer/ceramic
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This paper investigates tungsten carbide (WC) as a reinforcement material in the widely used material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing (AM) process. The study demonstrates that WC can enhance and stabilize commonly used polymeric matrices in MEX 3D printing. The mechanical properties, structure, and thermomechanical properties of hybrid polymer/ceramic nanocomposites made with different filler loadings were fully characterized. The results show significant improvements in tensile strength, flexural strength, and microhardness, indicating the potential use of WC nanocomposites in wear-related applications.
The goal of this paper is to investigate tungsten carbide (WC) as a reinforcement in the popular material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing (AM) procedure. The impressive characteristics of WC demonstrate its potential as a valuable additive for commonly used polymeric matrices in MEX 3D printing, offering reinforcement and stabilization properties. The mechanical properties of hybrid polymer/ceramic nanocomposites made up of various filler loadings (0-10 wt. %) of medical-grade polylactic acid (PLA) and WC were studied. The mechanical characteristics, structure, and thermomechanical properties of the resulting compounds were fully characterized following the respective standards. The fracture mechanisms were revealed with Scanning Electron Microscopy. Overall, a laborious effort was implemented with fifteen different tests to fully characterize the nanocomposites prepared. In comparison to the raw PLA material, the tensile strength of the 4.0 wt. % WC PLA/WC nanocomposite was improved by 42.5% and the flexural strength by 41.9%. In the microhardness test, a 120.4% improvement was achieved, justifying the properties of WC ceramic. According to these findings, PLA nanocomposites reach high-performance polymer specifications, expanding their potential use, especially in wear-related applications.
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