Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

3D printed polycarbonate reinforced acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene composites: Composition effects on mechanical properties, micro-structure and void formation study

  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

3D printing is one of the most popular additive manufacturing technique due to its usage in vast applications. The process of 3D printed polycarbonate (PC) reinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composite increases the mechanical properties and yields higher strength for 3D printed structures/products. In this paper, a comparative study was conducted on PC/ABS polymer composites developed using fused deposition modeling (FDM) and conventional compression molding (CM). The proposed study aims at analyzing 3D printed PC/ABS in terms of their processibility, microstructure, and mechanical performance. Three different specimens were prepared with weight percentages (10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt%) of PC reinforcement in ABS. Mechanical properties of the specimens are used to find the best composition of the composite using FDM and CM. Similarly, the microstructure of specimens is studied to identify the variations in the strength of the polymer composites. This study proves the compatibility of the two polymers. With an increase in the PC content in the sample, the hardness and strength are improved and can provide an excellent amount of strength to the product at a required concentration of PC reinforcement. This phenomenon was explained based on changes in the void formation using micro-structural study. Knowing the appropriate polymer composition, it contributes to printing complex 3D printed with better rational, aesthetic and economic benefits for different applications such as automotive, marine, and several other fields.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

R*:

Radius

Wt%:

Weight percentage

t**:

Thickness

°C:

Degree celsius

mm:

Millimeters

References

  1. D. K. F. Van, Y. Koga, A. Todoroki, M. Ueda, Y. Hirano and R. Matsuzaki, 3D printing of continuous carbon fibre reinforced thermo-plastic (CFRTP) tensile test specimens, Open J. of Composite Materials, 6 (1) (2016) 18–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A. Olsson, M. S. Hellsing and A. R. Rennie, New possibilities using additive manufacturing with materials that are difficult to process and with complex structures, Physica Scripta, 92 (2017) 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. O. A. Mohamed, S. H. Masood and J. L. Bhowmik, Characterization and dynamic mechanical analysis of PC-ABS material processed by fused deposition modelling: An investigation through I-optimal response surface methodology, Measurement, 107 (2017) 128–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. H. L. Tekinalp, V. Kunc, G. M. Velez-Garcia, C. E. Duty, L. J. Love, A. K. Naskar, C. A. Blue and S. Ozcan, Highly oriented carbon fiber–polymer composites via additive manufacturing, Composites Science and Technology, 105 (2014) 144–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. O. A. Mohamed, S. H. Masood and J. L. Bhowmik, Optimization of fused deposition modeling process parameters: A review of current research and future prospects, Advances in Manufacturing, 3 (2015) 42–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. X. Tian, T. Liu, C. Yang, Q. Wang and D. Li, Interface and performance of 3D printed continuous carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 88 (2016) 198–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. J. A. Inzana, D. Olvera, S. M. Fuller, J. P. Kelly, O. A. Graeve, E. M. Schwarz and H. A. Awad, 3D printing of composite calcium phosphate and collagen scaffolds for bone regeneration, Biomaterials, 35 (2014) 4026–4034.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Christ, M. Schnabel, E. Vorndran, J. Groll and U. Gbureck, Fiber reinforcement during 3D printing, Materials Letters, 139 (2015) 165–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. F. Ning, W. Cong, J. Qiu, J. Wei and S. Wang, Additive manufacturing of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites using fused deposition modeling, Composites Part B: Engineering, 80 (2015) 369–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. V. Kovan, G. Altan and E. S. Topal, Effect of layer thickness and print orientation on strength of 3D printed and adhesively bonded single lap joints, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 31 (2017) 2197–2201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. H. Li, J. Guiping, F. Qinzhi and W. Tiejun, Experimental investigation on the essential work of mixed-mode fracture of PC/ABS alloy, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 29 (2015) 33–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Y. E. Lim, N. H. Kim, H.-J. Choi and K. Park, Design for additive manufacturing of customized cast with porous shell structures, Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 31 (2017) 5477–5483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M. Chapiro, Current achievements and future outlook for composites in 3D printing, J. of Reinforced Plastics, 60 (2016) 372–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. M. Nikzad, S. H. Masood and I. Sbarski, Thermo-mechanical properties of highly filled polymeric composites for fused deposition modeling, J. of Materials and Design, 32 (2011) 3448–3456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. M. S. Scholz, J. P. Blanchfield, L. D. Bloom, B. H. Coburn, M. Elkington, J. D. Fuller and J. A. Trevarthen, The use of composite materials in modern orthopedic medicine and prosthetic devices: A review, Composites Science and Technology, 71 (2011) 1791–1803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. D. A. Türk, F. Brenni, M. Zogg and M. Meboldt, Mechanical characterization of 3D printed polymers for fiber reinforced polymers processing, Materials and Design, 118 (2017) 256–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. W. Y. Chiang and Y. S. Chiang, Effect of titanate coupling agent on electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness and mechanical properties of PC–ABS–NCF composite, J. of Applied Polymer Science, 46 (1992) 673–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. V. Petrovic, J. V. H. Gonzalez, O. Jordá Ferrando, J. Delgado Gordillo, J. R. B. Puchades and L. Portolés Griñan, Additive layered manufacturing: Sectors of industrial application shown through case studies, Int. J. of Production Research, 49 (2011) 1061–1079.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Z. Y. Tan, X. F. Xu, S. L. Sun, C. Zhou, Y. H. Ao, H. X. Zhang and Y. Han, Influence of rubber content in ABS in wide range on the mechanical properties and morphology of PC/ABS blends with different composition, Polymer Engineering and Science, 46 (2006) 1476–1484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. V. Francis and P. K. Jain, A filament modification approach for in situ ABS/OMMT nanocomposite development in extrusion-based 3D printing, Journal of Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 40 (7) (2018) 361–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. M. Domingo-Espin, J. M. Puigoriol-Forcada, A. A. Garcia-Granada, J. Lluma, S. Borros and G. Reyes, Mechanical property characterization and simulation of fused deposition modeling polycarbonate parts, Materials and Design, 83 (2015) 670–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. R. Greco, M. F. Astarita, L. Dong and A. Sorrentino, Poly-carbonate/ABS blends: Processability, thermal properties, and mechanical and impact behavior, Advances in Polymer Technology, 13 (1994) 259–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. R. Kumar, R. Singh and I. P. S. Ahuja, Melt processing for enhancing compatibility of aluminum-reinforced acryloni-trile–butadiene–styrene and polyamide 6 for friction welding applications, Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 40 (8) (2018) 378–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Ahmad, N. Hayat and F. H. Shah, Rapid development of complex shaped customized products, Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 37 (1) (2015) 263–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. ASTM D638, ASTM Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics, D638-03, West Conshohocken (PA): ASTM International (2003).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Design and Automation, School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India

    Mnvrl Kumar & R. Ramakrishnan

  2. Institut de Recherche en Génie Civil et Mécanique, Ecole Centale de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Alnura Omarbekova

Authors
  1. Mnvrl Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Ramakrishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alnura Omarbekova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Ramakrishnan.

Ethics declarations

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Hak-Sung Kim

Mnvrl Kumar is a Ph.D. research scholar in the Department of Design and automation, School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT University, India. He has completed his master of technology in machine design from JNTU, India. He is doing Ph.D. in 3D printing of composite materials. His research interests include Composite materials, Additive manufacturing, Multi-Objective Optimization, and 3D printing.

R. Ramakrishnan is working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Design and automation, School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT University, India. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N), France. He has completed his Ph.D. from IIT, Madras, India. His research interests include 3D printing, additive manufacturing, composite materials, smart manufacturing, and electrochemical discharge machining, manufacturing automation. He holds several publications in reputed journals and conferences. He holds six Indian patents to his credits. He is currently guiding three Ph.D. scholars and twelve master’s students.

Alnura omarbekova is a Researcher at Institut de Recherche en Génie Civil et Mécanique, Ecole Centale de Nantes, France. She has done Postdoctoral from the University of Texas. She holds a Ph.D. from Ecole Central, de Nantes, France. Her research interest includes 3D printing, additive manufacturing, and composites and so on. She had guided several Ph.D. scholars and holds several publications in reputed journal and conferences.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kumar, M., Ramakrishnan, R. & Omarbekova, A. 3D printed polycarbonate reinforced acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene composites: Composition effects on mechanical properties, micro-structure and void formation study. J Mech Sci Technol 33, 5219–5226 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-1011-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-1011-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation