Mechanical reinforcement course of 3D printed polypropylene–antimony doped Tin Oxide nanocomposites versus filler loading
Nectarios Vidakis, Markos Petousis, Emmanouil Velidakis, Nikolaos Mountakis, Peder Erik Fischer-Griffiths, Sotirios Grammatikos, Lazaros Tzounis
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printed polypropylene (PP) structures mechanically reinforced with antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles (NPs) at various concentrations were developed and fully characterized. Nanocomposite filaments were produced by an optimized melt mixing and extrusion process, utilized as feedstock for the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of specimens. Samples were 3D printed and assessed via mechanical, viscoelastic, physicochemical, and fractographic characterizations. Raman spectroscopy verified the polymer structure and the incorporated ATO nanocrystallites in the polymer matrix. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) of the nanocomposite extruded filaments revealed the nanoscale roughness induced by the ATO NPs. All nanocomposite 3D printed structures exhibited enhanced mechanical performance. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) revealed a stiffening mechanism for the nanocomposites, agreeing with the static tests. This work demonstrates that commercially available PP reinforced with ATO NPs, maybe a solution for applications requiring enhanced material’s static and dynamic mechanical properties.