Effect of temperature conditions of a heated plate on the crystallization of CFRTP

Abstract

The bed part of a fused-filament-fabrication-based composite 3D printer was simulated, and the use of a hot plate to control the trans-crystallization (TC) thickness in the bed part was evaluated based on the molding conditions under which TC is known to occur. An experiment using plastic, which is commonly used in 3D printers, showed that TC was generated vertically from the surface of carbon fiber. Some resins exhibited an increasing degree of isothermal crystallization as the temperature of the bed was increased, but the effect of the cooling rate on crystallization was significant; TCs with an average thickness of 38.5, 19.3, and 5.2 μm were generated in carbon-filled (CF)/PP, CF/PPS, and CF/PET, respectively. A simulated experiment that investigated the effect of the cooling rate from the melted state showed a clear reduction in TC during rapid cooling, indicating that controlling the cooling rate from the melted state can alter the thickness of the TC at the interface.