Nanocomposites with Optimized Polytetrafluoroethylene Content as a Reinforcement Agent in PA12 and PLA for Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

Herein, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is evaluated as a reinforcement agent in material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing (AM), aiming to develop nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical performance. Loadings up to 4.0 wt.% were introduced as fillers of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyamide 12 (PA12) matrices. Filaments for MEX AM were prepared to produce corresponding 3D-printed samples. For the thorough characterization of the nanocomposites, a series of standardized mechanical tests were followed, along with AFM, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, EDS, and SEM analyses. The results showed an improved mechanical response for filler concentrations between 2.0 and 3.0 wt.%. The enhancement for the PLA/PTFE 2.0 wt.% in the tensile strength reached 21.1% and the modulus of elasticity 25.5%; for the PA12/PTFE 3.0 wt.%, 34.1%, and 41.7%, respectively. For PLA/PTFE 2.0 wt.%, the enhancement in the flexural strength reached 57.6% and the modulus of elasticity 25.5%; for the PA12/PTFE 3.0 wt.%, 14.7%, and 17.2%, respectively. This research enables the ability to deploy PTFE as a reinforcement agent in the PA12 and PLA thermoplastic engineering polymers in the MEX AM process, expanding the potential applications.

Automated summary

In this research, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was evaluated as a reinforcement agent in material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing (AM) to develop nanocomposites with improved mechanical performance. Fillers of up to 4.0 wt.% were introduced into polylactic acid (PLA) and polyamide 12 (PA12) matrices. Various mechanical tests and analyses were conducted to thoroughly characterize the nanocomposites. The results showed enhanced mechanical properties for filler concentrations between 2.0 and 3.0 wt.%, expanding the potential applications of PTFE in MEX AM.