Impact energy absorption and fracture mechanism of FFF made fiberglass reinforced polymer composites

Abstract

Purpose The fiber reinforced polymer composites are becoming more critical because of their exceptional mechanical properties and lightweight structures. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique that can manufacture composite structures. However, the effect of impact performance on the structural integrity of FFF made composites compared to the pre-preg composites is a primary concern for the practical usage of 3D printed parts. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the effect of different processing parameters on the impact performance of 3D printed composites. Design/methodology/approach This paper investigates the impact of build orientation, fiber stacking sequence and fiber angle on the impact properties. Two build orientations, three fiber stacking sequences and two different fiber angles have been selected for this study. Charpy impact testing is carried out to investigate the impact energy absorption of the parts. Onyx as a matrix material and two different types of fibers, that is, fiberglass and high strength high temperature (HSHT) fiberglass as reinforcements, are used for the fabrication. Findings Results indicate that build orientation and fiber angle largely affect the impact performance of composite parts. The composite part built with XYZ orientation, 0º/90º fiber angle and B type fiber stacking sequence resulted into maximum impact energy. However, comparing both types of fiber reinforcement, HSHT fiberglass resulted in higher impact energy than regular fiberglass. Originality/value This study evaluates the damage modes during the impact testing of the 3D printed composite parts. The impact energy absorbed by the composite samples during the impact testing is measured to compare the effect of different processing conditions. The investigation of different types of fiberglass reinforced with Onyx material is very limited for the FFF-based process. The results also provide a database to select the different parameters to obtain the required impact properties.