Thermoplastic Extrusion Additive Manufacturing of High-Performance Carbon Fiber PEEK Lattices

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been the focus of substantial additive manufacturing research for two principal reasons: (a) the mechanical performance approaches that of aluminum at relatively high temperatures for thermoplastics and (b) the potential for qualification in both the aerospace and biomedical industries. Although PEEK provides outstanding strength and thermal stability, printing can be difficult due to the high melting point. Recently, high-temperature soluble support has enabled the printing of lattices and stochastic foams with overhanging features in these high-performance carbon fiber thermoplastics, in which density can be optimized to strike a balance between weight and strength to enhance performance in applications such as custom implants or aerospace structures. Although polymer powder bed fusion has long been capable of the combination of these geometries and materials, material extrusion with high-temperature sacrificial support is dramatically less expensive. This research provides a comprehensive mechanical analysis and CT-scan-based dimensional study of carbon fiber PEEK lattice structures enabled with high-temperature support and including model validation.

Analysis of the Impact of Redispersible Polymer Powder on the Water and Frost Resistance of Cold-Recycled Mixture with Bitumen Emulsion

The subject of the research presented in the article is the assessment of the effect of redispersible polymer powder (RPP) on water and frost resistance of a cold-recycled mixture with bitumen emulsion (BE-CRM). The article presents the results of research on the influence of polymer powder EVA based on polymer (polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate) on the properties of BE-RCM. The impact analysis was determined using the assumptions of the Box-Behnken experiment plan in which three components are controlled. In this case, the variables were the content of: polymer, cement and asphalt emulsion. All ingredients were dosed with a step of 1.5% of the percentage share in the mixture composition. Polymer and Portland cement in an amount of 0.5% to 3.5%. On the other hand, the pure asphalt originating from the asphalt emulsion was 0.0%, 1.5% and 3.0%, respectively. The scope of the tests included the determination of: mixture density, void content (Vm), water absorption (nw), intermediate tensile strength (ITS), to water (TSR) as well as water and frost according to AASHTO T283.

The Effect of Polymer Powder on the Cracking of the Subbase Layer Composed of Cold Recycled Bitumen Emulsion Mixtures

The research was aimed at assessing the effect of the redispersible polymer powder on the fracture resistance of a subbase made of a mineral–cement mixture with a bitumen emulsion. The test was performed at two temperatures, i.e., 0 °C and 20 °C. The prepared mixtures differed in the content of cement, asphalt emulsion, and polymer modifier. Cement and redispersible polymer powder were dosed in 1.5% steps from 0.5% to 3.5% while the amount of bitumen emulsion ranged from 0.0% to 5.0%. The SCB (semi-circular bending) tests carried out in the laboratory showed the dependence of the influence of the amount of binder and polymer modifier on the fracture resistance of the recycled subbase. Mixes containing a polymer modifier in their composition are characterized by a much higher resistance to cracking than traditional mineral–cement–emulsion mixtures. An example is the doubling of the framework’s fracture toughness (KIC) when the amount of the polymer modifier is increased from 0.5% to 2.0% with a constant cement content of 0.5%. The obtained results (KIC) in this case were 2.90 and 5.81. The key is the right ratio of polymer powder and cement in the base composition.

Investigating the Potential Plasticizing Effect of Di-Carboxylic Acids for the Manufacturing of Solid Oral Forms with Copovidone and Ibuprofen by Selective Laser Sintering

In selective laser sintering (SLS), the heating temperature is a critical parameter for printability but can also be deleterious for the stability of active ingredients. This work aims to explore the plasticizing effect of di-carboxylic acids on reducing the optimal heating temperature (OHT) of polymer powder during SLS. First, mixtures of copovidone and di-carboxylic acids (succinic, fumaric, maleic, malic and tartaric acids) as well as formulations with two forms of ibuprofen (acid and sodium salt) were prepared to sinter solid oral forms (SOFs), and their respective OHT was determined. Plasticization was further studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Following this, the printed SOFs were characterized (solid state, weight, hardness, disintegration time, drug content and release). It was found that all acids (except tartaric acid) reduced the OHT, with succinic acid being the most efficient. In the case of ibuprofen, only the acid form demonstrated a plasticizing effect. DSC and FTIR corroborated these observations showing a decrease in the glass transition temperature and the presence of interactions, respectively. Furthermore, the properties of the sintered SOFs were not affected by plasticization and the API was not degraded in all formulations. In conclusion, this study is a proof-of-concept that processability in SLS can improve with the use of di-carboxylic acids.

Nanoparticle Additivation Effects on Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Metals and Polymers—A Theoretical Concept for an Inter-Laboratory Study Design All Along the Process Chain, Including Research Data Management

In recent years, the application field of laser powder bed fusion of metals and polymers extends through an increasing variability of powder compositions in the market. New powder formulations such as nanoparticle (NP) additivated powder feedstocks are available today. Interestingly, they behave differently along with the entire laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) process chain, from flowability over absorbance and microstructure formation to processability and final part properties. Recent studies show that supporting NPs on metal and polymer powder feedstocks enhances processability, avoids crack formation, refines grain size, increases functionality, and improves as-built part properties. Although several inter-laboratory studies (ILSs) on metal and polymer PBF-LB exist, they mainly focus on mechanical properties and primarily ignore nano-additivated feedstocks or standardized assessment of powder feedstock properties. However, those studies must obtain reliable data to validate each property metric’s repeatability and reproducibility limits related to the PBF-LB process chain. We herein propose the design of a large-scale ILS to quantify the effect of nanoparticle additivation on powder characteristics, process behavior, microstructure, and part properties in PBF-LB. Besides the work and sample flow to organize the ILS, the test methods to measure the NP-additivated metal and polymer powder feedstock properties and resulting part properties are defined. A research data management (RDM) plan is designed to extract scientific results from the vast amount of material, process, and part data. The RDM focuses not only on the repeatability and reproducibility of a metric but also on the FAIR principle to include findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data/meta-data in additive manufacturing. The proposed ILS design gives access to principal component analysis (PCA) to compute the correlations between the material–process–microstructure–part properties.

The effect of powder age in high speed sintering of poly(propylene)

Purpose This study aims to demonstrate for the first time that the cheap, commodity polymer, poly(propylene), can be successfully processed using high speed sintering, and that it can be recycled several times through the process, with little to no detriment to either the polymer itself or the parts obtained. This is significant as a step towards the realisation of high speed sintering as a technology for high-volume manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach A poly(propylene) powder designed for laser sintering was used to build parts on a high speed sintering machine. The unsintered powder was then collected and reused. Repeating this process allowed creation of seven generations of aged powder. A variety of characterisation techniques were then used to measure polymer, powder and part properties for each generation to discern any effects arising from ageing in the machine. Findings It was found that poly(propylene) could be used successfully in high speed sintering, albeit with a low build success rate. Increased powder age was found to correlate to an increase in the build success rate, changes in microscopic and bulk powder properties and improvement to the dimensional accuracy of the parts obtained. By contrast, no discernible correlations were seen between powder age and polymer molecular weight, or between powder age and the tensile properties of parts. Originality/value This is the first report of the use of poly(propylene) in high speed sintering. It is also first study regarding powder recyclability in high speed sintering, both in general and using poly(propylene) specifically.

Effect of the recipe on the properties of polymer-cement waterproofing mixtures

The technological properties of polymer-cement mixtures and the physical and mechanical properties of polymer-cement waterproofing coatings, depending on their quantitative and qualitative composition: the ratio of cement:sand (C:S), water-cement ratio (W/C) and the content of modifying additives, have been investigated using the method of experimental-statistical modeling. As a result of the implementation of B3 plan and the processing of experimental data, experimental statistical models were obtained that express the effect of the recipy on the properties of polymer-cement waterproofing mixtures and coatings: mobility, compressive strength, bending strength, adhesion and impact strength and water absorption. It was found that having the constant values of C:S and W/C modifying additives, namely redispersing polymer powder, powder polycarboxylate superplasticizer and microsilica are an important factor in the formation of the structure and properties of waterproofing coatings. The analysis of the models showed that the redispersing polymer powder and superplasticizer have a positive effect on he mobility of polymer-cement waterproofing mixtures, while silica fume has a negative effect on this indicator. The effect of modifiers on the physical and mechanical properties of waterproofing coatings is following: redispersing polymer powder and superplasticizer have a negative effect on the compressive strength, while microsilica increases this indicator; redispersing polymer powder and microsilica increase the flexural strength, while the superplasticizer has a negative effect on this indicator; all investigated modifiers increase adhesion and impact strength and decrease water absorption. Based on experimental-statistical models, diagrams were constructed, which are a graphical representation of the effect of the recipe on the properties of polymer-cement waterproofing mixtures, which enables to determine the areas of the recipe use with specified properties.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Polymers: Quantitative Research Direction Indices

Research on Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) of polymer powder feedstocks has raised over the last decade due to the increased utilization of the fabricated parts in aerospace, automotive, electronics, and healthcare applications. A total of 600 Science Citation Indexed articles were published on the topic of L-PBF of polymer powder feedstocks in the last decade, being cited more than 10,000 times leading to an h-index of 46. This study statistically evaluates the 100 most cited articles to extract reported material, process, and as-built part properties to analyze the research trends. PA12, PEEK, and TPU are the most employed polymer powder feedstocks, while size, flowability, and thermal behavior are the standardly reported material properties. Likewise, process properties such as laser power, scanning speed, hatch spacing, powder layer thickness, volumetric energy density, and areal energy density are extracted and evaluated. In addition, material and process properties of the as-built parts such as tensile test, flexural test, and volumetric porosity contents are analyzed. The incorporation of additives is found to be an effective route to enhance mechanical and functional properties. Carbon-based additives are typically employed in applications where mechanical properties are essential. Carbon fibers, Ca-phosphates, and SiO2 are the most reported additives in the evaluated SCI-expanded articles for L-PBF of polymer powder feedstocks. A comprehensive data matrix is extracted from the evaluated SCI-index publications, and a principal component analysis (PCA) is performed to explore correlations between reported material, process, and as-built parts.