Enhanced fracture toughness and tensile strength of 3D printed recycled ABS composites reinforced with continuous metallic fiber for load-bearing application
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present an experimental approach to develop a high-strength 3D-printed recycled polymer composite reinforced with continuous metal fiber.
Design/methodology/approach
The continuous metal fiber composite was 3D printed using recycled and virgin acrylonitrile butadiene styrene-blended filament (RABS-B) in the ratio of 60:40 and postused continuous brass wire (CBW). The 3D printing was done using an in-nozzle impregnation technique using an FFF printer installed with a self-modified nozzle. The tensile and single-edge notch bend (SENB) test samples are fabricated to evaluate the tensile and fracture toughness properties compared with VABS and RABS-B samples.
Findings
The tensile and SENB tests revealed that RABS-B/CBW composite 3D printed with 0.7 mm layer spacing exhibited a notable improvement in Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, elongation at maximum load and fracture toughness by 51.47%, 18.67% and 107.3% and 22.75% compared to VABS, respectively.
Social implications
This novel approach of integrating CBW with recycled thermoplastic represents a significant leap forward in material science, delivering superior strength and unlocking the potential for advanced, sustainable composites in demanding engineering fields.
Originality/value
Limited research has been conducted on the in-nozzle impregnation technique for 3D printing metal fiber-reinforced recycled thermoplastic composites. Adopting this method holds the potential to create durable and high-strength sustainable composites suitable for engineering applications, thereby diminishing dependence on virgin materials.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude towards Nano-Composite Materials Lab in National Institute of Technology Silchar, Assam, for providing their valuable technical support.
Funding: The authors did not receive any financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this research article.
Citation
Mishra, V., Ror, C.K., Negi, S. and Kar, S. (2024), "Enhanced fracture toughness and tensile strength of 3D printed recycled ABS composites reinforced with continuous metallic fiber for load-bearing application", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-01-2024-0021
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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