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PA12 Powder Recycled from SLS for FDM
Li Feng1, Yan Wang2, Qinya Wei3
1School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China. fenglifl0512@163.com.
Polymers
|April 25, 2019
Summary
Recycled Polyamide 12 (PA12) powder from selective laser sintering (SLS) can be used for fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing. Recycled PA12 filaments retain significant mechanical properties, making them a viable option for sustainable additive manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Engineering
Background:
- Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) generates waste powder, often Polyamide 12 (PA12).
- Repurposing recycled PA12 powder into filaments for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) offers a sustainable alternative to virgin materials.
- Understanding the impact of recycling and FDM processing on PA12 properties is crucial for its effective utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using recycled PA12 powder from SLS for FDM filament production.
- To evaluate the effect of FDM processing parameters (printing speed, building orientation) on the mechanical properties of parts printed with recycled PA12.
- To compare the performance of 3D printed parts from recycled PA12 with those from fresh PA12.
Main Methods:
- Recycled PA12 powder from SLS was processed into FDM filaments.
- Filaments were used to 3D print test samples via FDM, varying printing speed and building orientation.
- Mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural modulus, impact strength) were tested.
- Melt Flow Rate (MFR) was measured.
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze sample microstructure.
Main Results:
- Recycled PA12 powder exhibited a 77% decrease in MFR compared to fresh PA12.
- Despite reduced MFR, mechanical properties of printed parts were only slightly diminished.
- Optimal printing speed was identified for maximizing mechanical performance.
- Parts printed from recycled PA12 achieved 95% (tensile), 85% (flexural), and 87% (impact) of the strength of fresh PA12 samples printed in the x-direction.
- X-direction printing yielded the best mechanical properties, while crystallization performance was inversely related to printing orientation.
Conclusions:
- Recycled PA12 powder from SLS is suitable for producing FDM filaments with acceptable mechanical properties.
- FDM printing parameters significantly influence the performance of parts made from recycled PA12.
- Sustainable additive manufacturing using recycled PA12 is achievable, with careful consideration of processing conditions.
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