Experimental investigation on tensile properties of the polymer and composite specimens printed in a Triangular pattern

• Published in: Journal of manufacturing processes 2021-08, Vol.68, p.706-715
• Main Authors: Tandon, Sourabh, Kacker, Ruchin, Sudhakar, K.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon fibre; Infill percent; Orientations; Scanning electron microscopy; Tensile strength; Triangular pattern
• ISSN: 1526-6125; 2212-4616
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmapro.2021.05.074

Additive manufacturing incorporates the utilization of polymers with additives to print 3D specimens in layers. FDM (fused deposition modelling) technique in AM (additive manufacturing) has gained much attention in recent years because of its ability to make complex shapes with great design flexibility. To explore the possibilities with new design pattern specimens with various percent infills is the need of the hour. This paper presents an investigation on the tensile properties of ABS, PLA, and CF (15% by weight fraction) reinforced with PLA specimens. Herein, to print the specimen, a newly triangular pattern is used in the gauge length with different infill percentages oriented at 0°, 45°, and 90°. The motivation is to understand the role of a pattern on mechanical properties. The analysis revealed that the reduction in percent strength corresponding to percent material removed from a particular infill is much less than expected. Thus fabricating a part in a specific pattern may lead to material saving and cost reduction. Besides, printing orientation also played a significant role in determining the ultimate strength. 0° orientation for maximum cases led to the highest strength, whereas 45° was the poorest printing orientation. As expected all the properties got enhanced with increasing infill percentages. Findings in line with the previous work revealed PLA + CF with the highest tensile strength while ABS has the least strength. PLA exhibited the largest Elastic modulus among the three materials. The SEM images in fracture morphology of the specimens indicated the bonding between the CF with PLA and failed layers. •The present work analyzes the tensile characteristic of composite and polymer.•Percent reduction in tensile strength decreased with a percent reduction of material infill.•Highest UTS (51.9 MPa) was observed for PLA + CF specimen oriented at 0°.•Designer can obtain required strength even at lower infills using specific pattern.