Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol/Antimony Tin Oxide Nanocomposites in Material Extrusion 3D Printing

Abstract

In this study, poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PETG) was combined with Antimony-doped Tin Oxide (ATO) to create five different composites (2.0–10.0 wt.% ATO). The PETG/ATO filaments were extruded and supplied to a material extrusion (MEX) 3D printer to fabricate the specimens following international standards. Various tests were conducted on thermal, rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties. The mechanical performance of the prepared nanocomposites was evaluated using flexural, tensile, microhardness, and Charpy impact tests. The dielectric and electrical properties of the prepared composites were evaluated over a broad frequency range. The dimensional accuracy and porosity of the 3D printed structure were assessed using micro-computed tomography. Other investigations include scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, which were performed to investigate the structures and morphologies of the samples. The PETG/6.0 wt.% ATO composite presented the highest mechanical performance (21% increase over the pure polymer in tensile strength). The results show the potential of such nanocomposites when enhanced mechanical performance is required in MEX 3D printing applications, in which PETG is the most commonly used polymer.