Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Plastic Samples Subjected to Selected Degradation Effects

• Published in: Materials Vol. 16; no. 8; p. 3268
• Main Authors: Sedlak, Josef, Joska, Zdenek, Jansky, Jiri, Zouhar, Jan, Kolomy, Stepan, Slany, Martin, Svasta, Adam, Jirousek, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21.04.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; aging; Composite materials; Degradation; degradation factors; Ductility; Exposure; FFF technology; Fused deposition modeling; hardness test; Hardness tests; High density polyethylenes; High temperature environments; Humidity; Mechanical properties; Plastics; Polyethylene; Polylactic acid; Polymers; Rapid prototyping; Recycling; Shape effects; Technology application; Temperature; Tensile strength; tensile test; Tensile tests; Three dimensional printing; Ultraviolet radiation; Weather; Yield stress; Czech Republic; hardness test; tensile test; aging; degradation factors; 3D printing; FFF technology
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma16083268

The Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) method is an additive technology that is used for the creation of prototypes within Rapid Prototyping (RP) as well as for the creation of final components in piece or small-series production. The possibility of using FFF technology in the creation of final products requires knowledge of the properties of the material and, at the same time, how these properties change due to degradation effects. In this study, the mechanical properties of the selected materials (PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA) were tested in their non-degenerate state and after exposure of the samples to the selected degradation factors. For the analysis, which was carried out by the tensile test and the Shore D hardness test, samples of normalized shape were prepared. The effects of UV radiation, high temperature environments, high humidity environments, temperature cycles, and exposure to weather conditions were monitored. The parameters obtained from the tests (tensile strength and Shore D hardness) were statistically evaluated, and the influence of degradation factors on the properties of individual materials was assessed. The results showed that even between individual manufacturers of the same filament there are differences, both in the mechanical properties and in the behavior of the material after exposure to degradation effects.