Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Porous Thermoplastic Polyurethane Obtained by 3D Printing for Protective Gear

• Published in: Advances in materials science and engineering Vol. 2019; no. 2019; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Lee, Hyojeong, Lee, Yejin, Eom, Ran-i
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2019; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: 3-D printers; Absorption; Composite materials; Compressibility; Compressive properties; Compressive strength; Deformation analysis; Design; Impact analysis; Impact prediction; Impact strength; Impact tests; Manufacturing; Mechanical properties; Personal protective equipment; Polymers; Polyurethane resins; Software; Studies; Tensile strength; Thickness; Three dimensional printing; Urethane thermoplastic elastomers; South Korea
• ISSN: 1687-8434; 1687-8442
• DOI: 10.1155/2019/5838361

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an efficient and sustainable technology useful in various manufacturing fields. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as a 3D printing material and the conditions related to the use of TPU as personal protective equipment. The tensile strength, shock absorption, and compressibility were evaluated for different infill and thickness conditions. An increase in the infill rate led to an increase in the tensile strength, regardless of the sample thickness. Similarly, the compression energy increased as the infill increased. Both the shock absorption and compression properties increased as the thickness decreased under identical infill conditions. The actual shock absorption test data were compared to the results of structural analyses, which confirmed the potential for predicting impact deformation through the analysis of the tensile characteristics and the basic properties of a 3D printed material.