Mechanical Properties of PC-ABS-Based Graphene-Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites Fabricated by FDM Process

This experimental study investigates the mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites containing nanofiller developed by fused deposition modelling (FDM). A novel polymer nanocomposite was developed by amalgamating polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS) by blending with graphene nanoparticles in the following proportions: 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 wt %. The composite filaments were developed using a twin-screw extrusion method. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, low-velocity impact strength, and surface roughness of pure PC-ABS and PC-ABS + graphene were compared. It was observed that with the addition of graphene, tensile strength and impact strength improved, and a reduction in surface roughness was observed along the build direction. These properties were analyzed to understand the dispersion of graphene in the PC-ABS matrix and its effects on the parameters of the study. With the 0.8 wt % addition of graphene to PC-ABS, the tensile strength increased by 57%, and the impact resistance increased by 87%. A reduction in surface roughness was noted for every incremental addition of graphene to PC-ABS. The highest decrement was seen for the 0.8 wt % addition of graphene reinforcement that amounted to 40% compared to PC-ABS.

Automated summary

The experimental study explored the mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites containing nanofiller developed by fused deposition modelling (FDM). By adding graphene to PC-ABS, improvements in tensile strength, impact resistance, and reduction in surface roughness were observed. The research indicated that the addition of graphene had significant positive effects on the mechanical properties of the composite materials.