Experimental study on properties of mechanical resistance of polyamide in clay soil

The presence of clay soil causes problems at the base of the structure: it swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which provides a reduction in the resistance to cutting of the soil. Plastic waste in the form of polyamide powder (PA-12) from the 3D printing industry can be used to improve the mechanical properties of the soil. This experimental study is an attempt to combine these two objectives of stabilizing the soil by using waste PA-12. The mechanical and shear resistant properties gave us confidence in choosing PA-12 as a stabilizer in clay soils, making them composite soils.

Employment of an Extended Double-Integrating-Sphere System to Investigate Thermo-optical Material Properties for Powder Bed Fusion

The optical energy input during laser-based powder bed fusion of polymers (PBF-LB/P) is influenced by a variety of process parameters (e.g., energy density) and powder material properties (e.g. optical properties, additives). Qualification of newly developed and/or modified powder materials still requires extensive, empirical parameter studies to assess processibility and find suitable process strategies. For powder characterization, a double-integrating-sphere system with an intervening hot stage, which allows accurate sample heating during the measurement of the optical properties, is presented and described. For qualification of the system and the associated characterization method for the PBF-LB/P process, the interaction of a collimated CO2 laser beam with selected polyamide powder materials during heating and cooling is investigated. The obtained results illustrate the suitability of the presented thermo-optical characterization technique, i.e., the temperature-dependent measurement of radiation reflected by and transmitted through the samples, for the systematical investigation of material-related (i.e., additives) and process-related (i.e., preheating temperature, layer height) influences on the beam-matter interaction.

Analysis and Economic Evaluation of the Use of Recycled Polyamide Powder in Masonry Mortars

Due to the considerable amount of waste plastics and polymers that are produced annually, the introduction of these waste products in construction materials is becoming a recurrent solution to recycle them. Among polymers, polyamide represents an important proportion of polymer waste. In this study, sustainable and lightweight mortars were designed and elaborated, substituting the aggregates by polyamide powder waste. Mortars were produced with various dosages of cement/aggregates, and the polyamide substitutions were 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the aggregates. The aim of this paper is to determine the density and the compressive strength of the manufactured mortars to observe the feasibility for being employed as masonry or rendering and plastering mortars. Results showed that with increasing polymer substitution, lower densities were achieved, ranging from 1850 to 790 kg/m3 in modified mortars. Mortars with densities below 1300 kg/m3 are cataloged as lightweight mortars. Furthermore, compressive strength also decreased with more polyamide substitution. Obtained values in recycled mortars were between 15.77 and 2.10 MPa, but the majority of the values (eight out of 12) were over 5 MPa. Additionally, an economic evaluation was performed, and it was observed that the use of waste polyamide implies an important cost reduction, apart from the advantage of not having to manage this waste material. Consequently, not only the mechanical properties of the new recycled materials were verified as well as its economic viability.

Flame-Retardant Polyamide Powder for Laser Sintering: Powder Characterization, Processing Behavior and Component Properties

Up to now, laser-sintered components have been barely used by industries such as aerospace and transport industry due to high flammability. By the use of flame retardants, the flammability of laser-sintered parts should be reduced to extend their range of possible applications. This paper aims to investigate the influence of halogen-free phosphinate-based flame retardants on process-relevant characteristics and process behavior, as well as mechanical and physical properties. Most importantly, the flammability of the material should be reduced. Two different types of phosphinate-based fillers were used in a concentration between 10 and 25 wt % in combination with the matrix material polyamide 12 (PA12). Thermal, optical, and powder properties of the mixtures were analytically investigated. Furthermore, the mechanical characterization of the sintered specimen was carried out. The addition of filler in laser sintering changes the process behavior and properties of the component. With this investigation, the correlation among flame retardants, process-relevant characteristics, process behavior, and resulting part properties was derived for the first time. Finally, a mixture of 15–20 wt % of flame retardant leads to the best trade-off between flame retardancy and mechanical properties.

Build Orientation Influence on some Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Polyamide Specimens

Additive manufacturing [AM] is a type of production technology characterized by the additive nature of stacking and unifying individual layers, with the main advantage that parts with complex geometries can easily be obtained, compared to conventional production methods. Due to its working principle, i.e. stacking layers, obtained by melting and solidification, the mechanical characteristics of the built part might be influenced by the build orientation chosen for the specific part. The mechanical behavior, cyclic deformation and fatigue behaviors of additively manufactured metallic parts as compared to their counterparts obtained by conventional processing technologies was reported to be highly dependent on the build orientation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the build orientation will have an impact on the mechanical properties of parts built by Selective Laser Sintering, using polyamide powder as raw material. Samples were built at various inclination degrees, and were further tested in terms of bending, compressive, impact and hardness tests. It was observed that the build orientation has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of parts additively manufactured from polyamide, compared to the behavior presented on the technical sheet of the material, provided by the manufacturer. Keywords: additive manufacturing, mechanical properties, build orientation, Selective Laser Sintering

Fractional relaxation model of materials obtained with selective laser sintering technology

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to verify the possibility of applying differential calculus of incomplete order to describe relaxation of the material obtained using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. Design/methodology/approach The samples were made using the incremental technology for three print directions. Relaxation tests were conducted. The theoretical curves, which are the solution of the equation describing the five-parameter Maxwell-Wiechert model for derivatives in relation to the total time of complete order and fractional order, were adjusted to the obtained experimental curves. Findings The SLS technology creates new possibilities regarding modelling polymeric elements which might be applied as functional models (products). Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth study of their properties, including relaxation properties, which is associated with the necessity to use proper mathematical tools to describe those properties. The differential calculus of incomplete order was applied herein to describe the anisotropy of relaxation properties because of the print direction in relation to the relaxation curves adjusted with the five-parameter Maxwell-Wiechert model. Research limitations/implications As a result of the conducted considerations, the authors obtained the dependencies describing the anisotropy of relaxation properties with the use of coefficients alpha and beta, which stand for the derivative order of the differential equation, whereas coefficient kappa stands for the translation coefficient which is an innovative application of this type of mathematical apparatus. Practical implications The developed method might be applied to describe the anisotropy of a broader group of materials manufactured with the use of incremental technologies. Originality/value The application of the differential calculus of incomplete order to describe the anisotropy of the materials manufactured from polyamide powder using the SLS technology is a distinctive feature of this paper. A crucial cognitive element of the conducted research is the fact which confirms that the dynamic viscosity coefficients have the greatest impact on the anisotropy of material properties depending on the print directions.

THE INFLUENCE OF SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING PARAMETERS ON TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PA 3200 GF POLYAMIDE

The paper presents the preliminary results of tribological research on the material used in the selective laser sintering technology, SLS. The samples in the shape of rings were manufactured of PA 3200 GF polyamide powder additionally reinforced with glass fibre, which is based on pure PA 2200 polyamide. The tests were carried out on a tribological T-15 tester, ring-on-disc type imitating the cooperation conditions of elements, e.g., the rings of the contact active seal. The main objective of the research was to determine the influence of the direction of the positioning of the models on the construction platform on the coefficient of friction and the wear of the cooperating friction pair components.

Influence of Superplasticizers on the Properties of Lightweight Mortar Plaster Made with Recycled Polymers

The advantageous influence of two different polycarboxylate and melamine superplasticizers is studied in relation to the properties of blended mortar plaster made with recycled polymers (polyamide powder and polyurethane foam). The characteristics of the test specimens are defined and tested in both a fresh and a hardened state. The influence of the additives on the microstructure of the lightweight mortar plaster is defined through an analysis of the compatibility of the interface zone of the materials using Fast Scanning Electron Microscopy (FSEM).Our results show that the addition of additives influences the properties of the mortar plaster, enhances its mechanical properties, and increases its adherence with ceramic materials. These results confirm that superplasticizers (depending on the type and dosage) enhance both the properties of the mortar plasters produced with recycled polymers and the rheological properties of the mortars that include polyamide waste.