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Experimental analysis of the tensile property of FFF-printed elastomers

Lin, X.
Coates, Philip D.
Hebda, Michael J.
Wang, R.
Lu, Y.
Zhang, L.
Publication Date
2020-10
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
2020-06-09
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Additional title
Abstract
Designing and manufacturing functional parts with enhanced mechanical property is a major goal of fused filament fabrication (FFF) for polymeric elastomers, which exhibits major advantages in producing such parts with a range of structures. But the unsatisfactory mechanical performance constrains greatly its real application and there is yet no consensus in the mechanical characterization of printed samples. This work takes the nozzle height as the considered factor and tests the tensile property of FFF-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Rheological property of the TPU melt, represented here by die swell behavior and shear viscosity, were measured initially to obtain a preliminary assessment of the material suitability and an optimization of melt extrusion conditions for FFF processing. Then correlation between the cross-section profile of deposited bead and the tensile performance of printed sample were evaluated. Both the shape of deposited bead and the bonding strength of two adjacent beads are emphasized when explaining the measured tensile strength. The significance of molecular permeation efficiency at bead-bead interfaces, and bonding-releasing patterns between adjacent beads to the tensile failure of printed objects is discussed.
Version
Accepted manuscript
Citation
Lin X, Coates P, Hebda M et al (2020) Experimental analysis of the tensile property of FFF-printed elastomers. Polymer Testing. 90: 106687.
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Link to published version
Type
Article
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