Optimization of the Filler Concentration on Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printed Polypropylene with Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposites

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) is an engineered thermoplastic polymer widely used in various applications. This work aims to enhance the properties of PP with the introduction of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) as nanofillers. Novel nanocomposite filaments were produced at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt.% filler concentrations, following a melt mixing extrusion process. These filaments were then fed to a commercially available fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer for the preparation of specimens, to be assessed for their mechanical, viscoelastic, physicochemical, and fractographic properties, according to international standards. Tensile, flexural, impact, and microhardness tests, as well as dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Raman, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), melt flow volume index (MVR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), were conducted, to fully characterize the filler concentration effect on the 3D printed nanocomposite material properties. The results revealed an improvement in the nanocomposites properties, with the increase of the filler amount, while the microstructural effect and processability of the material was not significantly affected, which is important for the possible industrialization of the reported protocol. This work showed that PP/TiO2 can be a novel nanocomposite system in AM applications that the polymer industry can benefit from.

Investigation of the Biocidal Performance of Multi-Functional Resin/Copper Nanocomposites with Superior Mechanical Response in SLA 3D Printing

“…Nanotechnology can introduce such specifications when used in composites fabrication [ 44 ]. Extensive research has been conducted on the introduction of nanoparticles in various forms, sizes, and combinations [ 40 , 45 , 46 ]. Nanocomposites have been widely introduced in FFF materials [ 13 , 14 , 47 , 48 ], while the development of nanocomposites in SLA materials is still not widely investigated [ 12 , 13 , 23 ].…”

Size and print path effects on mechanical properties of material extrusion 3D printed plastics

“…Here, two standard ASTM D638 tensile bar sizes (Type IV and V) along with parallel and series printing of the specimens were examined for polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene (PP). These plastics have been previously demonstrated for 3DP [ 7 , 56 – 59 ], including as composites [ 60 , 61 ], with PC exhibiting properties for potential engineering applications, while PP offers potential for a much lower cost. The elastic modulus was independent of these examined print characteristics, but the failure was dependent on the specimen size.…”

Medical-Grade Polyamide 12 Nanocomposite Materials for Enhanced Mechanical and Antibacterial Performance in 3D Printing Applications

“…The raw materials used in the FFF method are in filament form [ 10 ]. Intense interest has emerged in the last decade in the development of composite materials [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Such composites are still being developed to enhance the mechanical [ 12 , 15 , 16 ], thermal, [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], and chemical resistance performance [ 20 , 21 ], while in parallel, the introduction of new properties in thermoplastic matrices has been attempted for electrical conductivity [ 22 , 23 ], as well as antibacterial [ 4 , 24 ] and other properties.…”