Recycled PET Composites Reinforced with Stainless Steel Lattice Structures Made by AM

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling is crucial for environmental sustainability and reducing carbon footprints.
• Current recycling methods face limitations based on material quality and product application.
• Innovative approaches are needed to increase the utilization of recycled PET.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of using recycled PET as a filler in additive manufactured metallic lattice structures.
• To create and characterize novel interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) using recycled PET and 316L stainless steel.
• To evaluate the impact of recycled PET reinforcement on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite materials.

Main Methods:

• 316L stainless steel lattice structures were designed using SolidWorks and produced via additive manufacturing.
• Recycled PET was molded into the lattice structure to form interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs).
• Mechanical properties (compressive strength, Young's modulus) were tested, and microstructural analysis was performed using SEM microscopy.

Main Results:

• The compressive strength of the recycled PET-reinforced steel lattice composite increased to 53 MPa, compared to 47 MPa for the bare lattice.
• The Young's modulus of the composite increased from approximately 1400 MPa to 1750 MPa with PET reinforcement.
• SEM analysis confirmed good binding between recycled PET and the 316L stainless steel surface, but also revealed interfacial failure mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating recycled PET into 316L stainless steel lattice structures creates a coherent composite material with enhanced mechanical properties.
• The composite exhibits improved compressive strength and elastic behavior due to the synergistic effect of PET and the steel lattice.
• Understanding interfacial failure mechanisms is critical for optimizing the design and performance of these novel recycled PET-based composites.