Mechanical characterization of 3D printed polymers for fiber reinforced polymers processing

This paper presents an investigation in the thermo-mechanical creep properties of additive manufactured (AM) polymeric materials for the processing of AM parts with fiber reinforced polymers (FRP). Commercially available Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ABSplus-P430 (ABS) for applications in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Poly amide 12 (PA12) and DuraForm HST Composite (HST) made by Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) are investigated for in- and out -of -plane building orientations. The materials were subjected to tensile and three-point bending creep tests to assess tensile Young's modulus, tensile yield strength, and flexural creep modulus at a creep time of 180 min and temperatures ranging from to 110 degrees C. The material properties were then used in the identification of the optimal processing pressure and temperature for the autoclave curing of an AM honeycomb. The results indicated that the mechanical properties decreased as the temperature increased. Building orientations significantly impact the mechanical properties for ABS and HST. Processing recommendations of the AM honeycomb reflect the variation of the mechanical properties over temperature: the pressure decreases as the temperature increases. Numerical results correlate well with experiments conducted for an AM honeycomb made with HST and processed in an autoclave at 100 degrees C and pressures of 226 and 4 bar. (C)2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.