Polymers Selection for Harsh Environments to Be Processed Using Additive Manufacturing Techniques

In this paper, a methodology for selecting a combination of polymers and their associated additive manufacturing (AM) routes is presented. The binomial consisting of materials performance for the intended application and the most suitable AM process and its production strategy is solved by the application of a multicriteria approach along with a stringency level methodology. The case study has been the analysis of physical and radiation tolerance features of thermoplastic nature candidates for the additive manufacture of mechanical, electromechanical, and electrical components for harsh environments in a nuclear power plant. The obtained results allow select an AM route along with a production strategy based on large batches or small batches. Using a selective laser sintering additive manufacturing route, PP + EPDM can be a good option to manufacture mechanical heavily stressed components, whereas PA can be a versatile material to manufacture friction components or films and sheets for electrical applications. In addition, PE would be a good option for high voltage insulation. Finally, PS would be used in radio frequency and microwave applications. On the other hand, fused deposition modeling techniques are more suitable for several materials, such as PC for mechanical applications, PE for electromechanical applications, and IR for electrical/electronic applications.