3D-Printable PP/SEBS Thermoplastic Elastomeric Blends: Preparation and Properties

Abstract

Currently, material extrusion 3D printing (ME3DP) based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) is considered a highly adaptable and efficient additive manufacturing technique to develop components with complex geometries using computer-aided design. While the 3D printing process for a number of thermoplastic materials using FDM technology has been well demonstrated, there still exists a significant challenge to develop new polymeric materials compatible with ME3DP. The present work reports the development of ME3DP compatible thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) materials from polypropylene (PP) and styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene (SEBS) block copolymers using a straightforward blending approach, which enables the creation of tailorable materials. Properties of the 3D printed TPEs were compared with traditional injection molded samples. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the 3D printed sample were lower than the injection molded samples. However, no significant differences could be found in the melt rheological properties at higher frequency ranges or in the dynamic mechanical behavior. The phase morphologies of the 3D printed and injection molded TPEs were correlated with their respective properties. Reinforcing carbon black was used to increase the mechanical performance of the 3D printed TPE, and the balancing of thermoplastic elastomeric and mechanical properties were achieved at a lower carbon black loading. The preferential location of carbon black in the blend phases was theoretically predicted from wetting parameters. This study was made in order to get an insight to the relationship between morphology and properties of the ME3DP compatible PP/SEBS blends.

Experiment-Based Process Modeling and Optimization for High-Quality and Resource-Efficient FFF 3D Printing

“…However, with FFF printing, defects, By using printers with dual or multiple extrusion nozzles, multicolored or multiple material parts can be produced. Simultaneous 3D printing of multiple materials enables integration of different properties (e.g., flexibility, folding, deployment, shape memory, and electric conductivity) into intricate products in a single manufacturing process [15][16][17][18]. Additionally, a wide range of polymers used for FFF nowadays can be recycled, and the nonmelted material (metal and polymer) from different AM processes can be reused [3,19,20].…”

“…Figures 9,12,14,and 16 show the effect of interaction (quadratic model) of process parameters on each process responses individually. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to identify the most significant terms affecting the response values.…”

Preparation of polycarbonate/poly(lactic acid) with improved printability and processability for fused deposition modeling

“…Many researchers have been devoted to developing new materials for FDM, such as polypropylene (PP), 11 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), 12 thermoplastic polyurethane (S‐TPU), 13 and their composites 14 . Polymer blending is an effective and economic method to achieve the specific required properties like better processability and printability 15,16 .…”

Flexible poly(styrene‐ethylene‐butadiene‐styrene) hybrid nanofibers for bioengineering and water filtration applications

“…Therefore, SEBS can be easily processed and modified. Due to the compatibility, it is widely used in hybridization with many different types of polymers such as copolymer coatings, adhesives, sealants, and engineering plastics . In addition, scientific studies have shown that increased concentration of SEBS in hybrid polymer blends could improve breaking elongation and interfacial adhesion, which allows developing the properties of ductility, toughness, and impact‐resistance …”