A Comprehensive Optimization Course of Antimony Tin Oxide Nanofiller Loading in Polyamide 12: Printability, Quality...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• Polymer Composites

Background:

• Polyamide 12 (PA12) is a versatile polymer for 3D printing.
• Enhancing PA12 mechanical properties is crucial for advanced applications.
• Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) is explored as a reinforcing filler.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ATO as a reinforcing agent for PA12 in 3D printing.
• To evaluate the effect of varying ATO concentrations on PA12 composite properties.
• To determine the optimal ATO content for improved mechanical performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PA12/ATO composite filaments via material extrusion.
• Mechanical testing: tensile, Charpy impact, flexural, and microhardness.
• Characterization: rheology, thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), morphology (SEM), spectroscopy (EDS, Raman), and micro-CT.

Main Results:

• The PA12/ATO 4.0 wt.% composite demonstrated the highest reinforcement.
• Tensile strength increased by 19.3% and flexural strength by 18.6% compared to pure PA12.
• Charpy impact strength and microhardness improved by over 10%.

Conclusions:

• ATO is a promising reinforcing agent for PA12 in additive manufacturing.
• Composites with ATO exhibit significantly improved mechanical properties.
• This research supports the development of high-performance 3D printed components using PA12/ATO.