Open AccessImpact strength of 3D-printed polycarbonate
Author(s) -
H. de Vries,
R.A.B. Engelen,
Esther Janssen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
facta universitatis. series electronics and energetics/facta universitatis. series: electronics and energetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2217-5997
pISSN - 0353-3670
DOI - 10.2298/fuee2001105v
Subject(s) - polycarbonate , materials science , composite material , ultimate tensile strength , layer (electronics) , izod impact strength test , birefringence , stress (linguistics) , deposition (geology) , stress concentration , impact resistance , brittleness , fused filament fabrication , fabrication , polymer , optics , fracture mechanics , geology , medicine , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , sediment
A vertical wall printed by Fused Filament Fabrication consists of a ribbed surface profile, due to the layer wise deposition of molten plastic. The notches between the printed layers act as stress concentrators and decrease its resistance to impact. This article shows the relation between impact strength and layer height by experimental data and finite element simulations of the stress intensity factor and the plastic zone near the tip of the notch. The impact resistance increased from 6 to 32 kJ/m2, when the layer height was decreased from 1.8 to 0.2 mm. When notches were removed by sanding, the samples did not fail any more during impact testing, resembling the behavior of smooth molded test bars. Tensile strength values up to 61 MPa were measured independent of layer height. Birefringence measurements were done to determine the actual stress levels, which ranged from 2 to 5 MPa.