Mechanical Reinforcement of ABS with Optimized Nano Titanium Nitride Content for Material Extrusion 3D Printing

Abstract

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) nanocomposites were developed using Material Extrusion (MEX) Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) methods. A range of mechanical tests was conducted on the produced 3D-printed structures to investigate the effect of Titanium Nitride (TiN) nanoparticles on the mechanical response of thermoplastic polymers. Detailed morphological characterization of the produced filaments and 3D-printed specimens was carried out using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). High-magnification images revealed a direct impact of the TiN concentration on the surface characteristics of the nanocomposites, indicating a strong correlation with their mechanical performance. The chemical compositions of the raw and nanocomposite materials were thoroughly investigated by conducting Raman and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) measurements. Most of the mechanical properties were improved with the inclusion of TiN nanoparticles with a content of 6 wt. % to reach the optimum mechanical response overall. ABS/TiN 6 wt. % exhibits remarkable increases in flexural modulus of elasticity (42.3%) and toughness (54.0%) in comparison with pure ABS. The development of ABS/TiN nanocomposites with reinforced mechanical properties is a successful example that validates the feasibility and powerful abilities of MEX 3D printing in AM.

Advanced Nanomaterials in Medical 3D Printing

“…[125] Some studies have also found that nanoparticles of different particle diameters [132] and shapes can affect the mechanical properties of materials. Besides, researchers often use metal nanoparticles to enhance the mechanical properties of polymer materials, [133] such as Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles, [134] gold nanoparticles, [135,136] ZrO nanoparticles, [137] titanium dioxide nanoparticles [138] and CuS nanoparticles. [139] Adding these metal nanoparticles enables 3D-printed products to have excellent mechanical properties that match the mechanical properties required for bone tissue engineering.…”

Optimizing the Rheological and Thermomechanical Response of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene/Silicon Nitride Nanocomposites in Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing

“…To date, additive manufacturing has proven effective in meeting the demands for prototypes, customized products, and mass production processes, especially using fused filament fabrication (FFF) MEX technology [ 6 ]. The escalating demand for products with enhanced complexity and multi-functionality across a variety of industries [ 7 ], such as engineering [ 8 ], electronics [ 9 ], aerospace [ 10 ], and the medical field [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], has led to the acceptance and integration of this technology [ 15 ].…”

“…The FFF technique can handle a broad range of thermoplastic filaments [ 19 ], including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) [ 20 , 21 ]. Numerous studies have demonstrated that FFF manufacturing and structural factors, including printing speed, layer thickness, and temperature (at the bed, nozzle, and chamber) among others [ 19 ], are critical as they can meaningfully influence the mechanical behavior of the 3D-printed specimen and directly impact the product’s efficiency [ 15 ]. The relationship between these complex and diverse parameters and their properties has been extensively researched and analyzed [ 22 , 23 ].…”

“…ABS possesses advantageous traits such as being lightweight, chemically inert, environmentally friendly, and capable of being reused, making it well-suited for printing purposes [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. ABS also displays commendable mechanical attributes, encompassing strength and toughness, as well as remarkable resistance to impacts and scratching [ 15 , 32 ]. It is the second most popular polymer in FFF 3D printing [ 33 ] and, as expected, it has been thoroughly investigated for its performance in the process.…”

“…Its mechanical properties have been studied under different strain rates [ 36 , 37 ] in tensile tests, in creep and fatigue loadings [ 38 ], in flexural tests using statistical modeling tools [ 39 ], and under impact loading [ 40 ], among others. Additionally, to enhance the mechanical properties of the polymer and induce multi-functional properties in some cases, composites have been developed employing ABS as the matrix material and mainly nano-scale (or in some cases micro-scale) additives, such as ceramics (titanium nitride) [ 15 ], carbon-based fillers (graphene [ 41 ], single and multi-wall carbon nanotubes [ 42 ]), metals (such as copper [ 43 , 44 ]) and metal oxides (such as antimony and titanium oxide [ 45 , 46 ]), and zinc oxide [ 46 , 47 ].…”