Short-term Creep Behaviour of Different Polymers Used in Additive Manufacturing under Different Thermal and Loading Conditions

Abstract

Polymer materials produced by additive manufacturing undergo significant changes in their dimensions under continuous loading conditions. This situation affects the operation of polymer structures produced by additive manufacturing within safe limits. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the creep behaviour of polymers produced by the additive manufacturing method. This study investigates the creep behaviour of six different materials, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), polylactic acid (PLA), tough polylactic acid (TPLA), polycarbonates (PC), and nylon most commonly used in additive manufacturing. The creep test specimens are firstly produced with a three-dimensional (3D) printer, and then their final dimensions are given using computer numerical control (CNC) milling. The creep experiments are carried out at three different ambient temperatures (25 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C) and two different stress levels (10 MPa, 20 MPa). According to the test results, it was determined that the material type, temperature, and loading levels significantly influenced the creep behaviour of the 3D printed polymer materials.