Mechanical characteristics of wood, ceramic, metal and carbon fiber-based PLA composites fabricated by FDM

TLDR: In this paper, the effects of different PLA composites, build orientations and raster angles on mechanical responses are compared and analyzed in detail, and it is found that ceramic, copper and aluminum-based PLA composite parts have similar or even increased mechanical properties compared with virgin PLA made parts.

Abstract: Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has gained much attention in recent years, as it revolutionizes the rapid manufacturing of customized polymer-based composite components. To facilitate the engineering applications of these FDM-printed components, understanding their basic mechanical behaviors is necessary. In this paper, the mechanical characteristics, including tensile and flexural properties of samples fabricated by FDM with different additives, i.e. wood, ceramic, copper, aluminum and carbon fiber, based polylactic acid (PLA) composites are comprehensively investigated. The effects of different PLA composites, build orientations and raster angles on mechanical responses are compared and analyzed in detail. It is found that ceramic, copper and aluminum-based PLA composite parts have similar or even increased mechanical properties compared with virgin PLA made parts. In most cases, PLA composite samples that are FDM-printed in on-edge orientation with +45°/−45° raster angles have the highest mechanical strength and modulus. It is worth noting that the results in this research provide a useful guideline for fabricating complex functional PLA composite components with optimized mechanical properties.