Thermo-mechanical behavior of 3D printed ABS under varying printing parameters

Abstract

The study investigates the combined effects of airflow rate (AR) and layer thickness (LT) on the mechanical and thermal behavior of 3D-printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). A series of tensile and compressive tests were performed, varying the LT and AR to understand their influence on mechanical robustness. In parallel, thermal properties were analyzed using thermal imaging and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was observed that decreasing LT from 0.3 mm to 0.05 mm significantly increased tensile properties, with comparatively less impact on compressive strength. The AR’s influence was more pronounced at thinner layers, affecting both mechanical and thermal properties. Thermal analyses provided a dynamic view of temperature changes, with swift cooling leading to dramatic temperature drops. The DSC highlighted variations in glass transition and thermal degradation temperatures between extruded ABS and its filament form, with higher cooling rates elevating the glass transition temperatures. This study elucidates the complex relationship between 3D printing parameters and the resulting properties of ABS, offering insights that could revolutionize the printing process and material customization, particularly for applications demanding high mechanical strength and thermal stability.