Processing and modeling of mill scale strengthened ABS composites fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM): Effects of printing parameters

Abstract

Abstract Mill scale (MS) strengthened acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composite filaments were fabricated as an optional low-cost and sustainable feedstock material with enhanced strength using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. In the present study, the effects of the printing parameters on the mechanical properties of the printed ABS/1.0 vol% MS composites were evaluated. Test specimens of ABS/1.0 vol% MS composites were printed at temperatures of 240–280°C, printing speeds of 10–90 mm s− 1, and infill densities of 25–100%. The average maximum stress and modulus of ABS/1.0 vol% MS samples increased when the printing temperature was raised to 270°C while decreasing the printing speed, with numerous air gaps and pores found in the cross-sectional microstructures after failure at low infill density. High surface roughness of the printed ABS/1.0 vol% MS composites was observed by a 3D laser scanner when printing at high temperatures and speeds due to insufficient cooling. The printed composite microstructures were examined by X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT), and showed homogeneously dense particle dispersion in the entire printed part. Representative volume element (RVE) based modeling was conducted using real particle geometries from µCT. RVE simulations predicted high local stress distributions around mill scale particles and air gaps in the printed samples.