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Evaluation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Powder in High Speed Sintering
Daniel Pezold1, Marco Wimmer1, Fayez Alfayez2
1Chair of Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technologies, University of Bayreuth, Universitaetsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
Polymers
|May 28, 2022
Summary
This study introduces polyethylene terephthalate (PET) processing via High Speed Sintering (HSS), a Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) method. While parts were successfully printed, limitations in machine temperature affected mechanical properties, showing potential for improved polymer additive manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Processing
Background:
- Laser Sintering (LS) and High Speed Sintering (HSS) are established Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) techniques, primarily using polyamide-12 (PA 12).
- Current HSS machines have temperature limitations (max 190 °C), suitable for PA 12 but at the lower processing limit for polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
- This study explores the novel application of PET in HSS, aiming to assess its processability and material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in High Speed Sintering (HSS) for the first time.
- To evaluate the printability of PET parts using current HSS technology and identify process limitations.
- To characterize the mechanical properties and microstructure of HSS-processed PET and compare them to Laser Sintering (LS) benchmarks.
Main Methods:
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) powder was processed using a High Speed Sintering (HSS) additive manufacturing machine.
- Printed parts, specifically tensile bars, were post-processed via heat treatment (230 °C) to correct warpage.
- Mechanical properties (tensile modulus, strength, elongation-at-break), porosity (helium pycnometry), and crystallinity were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Well-defined simple and complex PET parts were successfully printed in HSS without build failures.
- Parts exhibited some warpage due to machine temperature limitations (190 °C max bed temperature).
- Post-processed PET showed a tensile modulus comparable to LS-processed PET, but lower strength and elongation-at-break due to incomplete particle melting. Porosity was 2.23%, similar to LS, and parts were semi-crystalline.
Conclusions:
- High Speed Sintering (HSS) is a viable method for processing polyethylene terephthalate (PET), enabling the production of functional parts.
- Current HSS machine temperature limitations restrict the full potential of PET, impacting mechanical strength and elongation.
- Further development of HSS machines with higher processing temperatures is recommended to optimize PET part performance in additive manufacturing.
