Compressive Behaviour of 3D-Printed PETG Composites

It is known that 3D-printed PETG composites reinforced with carbon or Kevlar fibres are materials that can be suitable for specific applications in the aeronautical and/or automotive sector. However, for this purpose, it is necessary to understand their mechanical behaviour, which is not yet fully understood in terms of compression. Therefore, this study intends to increase the knowledge in this domain, especially in terms of static behaviour, as well as with regard to creep and stress relaxation due to the inherent viscoelasticity of the matrix. In this context, static, stress relaxation and creep tests were carried out, in compressive mode, using neat PETG and PETG composites reinforced with carbon and Kevlar fibres. From the static tests, it was found that the yield compressive strength decreased in both composites compared to the neat polymer. Values around 9.9% and 68.7% lower were found, respectively, when carbon and Kevlar fibres were added to the PETG. Similar behaviour was observed for compressive displacement, where a reduction of 20.4% and 46.3% was found, respectively. On the other hand, the compressive modulus increased by 12.4% when carbon fibres were added to the PETG matrix and decreased by 39.6% for Kevlar fibres. Finally, the stress relaxation behaviour revealed a decrease in compressive stresses over time for neat PETG, while the creep response promoted greater compressive displacement. In both situations, the response was very dependent on the displacement/stress level used at the beginning of the test. However, when the fibres were added to the polymer, higher stress relaxations and compressive displacements were observed.

Automated summary

This study investigates the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed PETG composites reinforced with carbon or Kevlar fibers, specifically focusing on compression. Through static, stress relaxation, and creep tests, it was found that the addition of fibers reduced the yield compressive strength and compressive displacement, while increasing the compressive modulus. The stress relaxation behavior showed a decrease in compressive stresses over time, while the creep response resulted in greater compressive displacement. The presence of fibers amplified these effects.