Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7805-5189
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Condensed matter physics
Abstract
This study investigates the printability limitations of 3D-printed continuous 316L stainless steel fibre-reinforced polymer composites obtained using the Materials Extrusion (MEX) technique. The objective was to better understand the geometric printing limitations of composites fabricated using continuous steel fibres, based on a combination of bending stiffness testing and piezoresistive property studies. The 0.5 mm composite filaments used in this study were obtained by co-extruding polylactic acid (PLA), with a 316 L stainless steel fibre (SSF) bundle. The composite printability limitations were evaluated by the printing of a series of ’teardrop’ shaped geometries with angles in the range from 5◦ to 90◦ and radii between 2 and 20 mm. The morphology and dimensional mea�surements of the resulting PLA-SSF prints were evaluated using µCT scanning, optical microscopy, and calliper measurements. Sample sets were compared and statistically examined to evaluate the repeatability, turning ability, and geometrical print limitations, along with dimensional fluctuations between designed and as-printed structures. Comparisons of the curvature bending stiffness were made with the PLA-only polymer and with 3D-printed nylon-reinforced short and long carbon fibre composites. It was demonstrated that the stainless steel composites exhibited an increase in bending stiffness at smaller radii. The change in piezoresistance response of the PLA-SSF with load applied during the curvature bending stiffness testing demonstrated that the 3D-printed composites may have the potential for use as structural health monitoring sensors.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8100410
Recommended Citation
Clarke, Alison J.; Dickson, Andrew N.; Milosavljevic, Vladimir; and Dowling, Denis P., "Three-Dimensional Printing Limitations of Polymers Reinforced with Continuous Stainless Steel Fibres and Curvature Stiffness" (2024). Articles. 205.
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/scschphyart/205
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Included in
Condensed Matter Physics Commons, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics Commons
Publication Details
Clarke, A.J.; Dickson, A.N.; Milosavljević, V.; Dowling, D.P. Three-Dimensional Printing Limitations of Polymers Reinforced with Continuous Stainless Steel Fibres and Curvature Stiffness. J. Compos. Sci. 2024, 8, 410.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8100410