Mechanical Characterization of Graphene Reinforced PLA Composites Printed by Fused Deposition Modelling

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) a method of Additive manufacturing (AM) has been a rapidly growing technology owing to its ease of manufacturing. However, there exist drawbacks such as poor mechanical properties and surface roughness which could be minimized by the selection of optimum process parameters for the fabrication process. In this work, polymer composite constituting PLA and graphene were prepared through FDM. with different process parameters such as layer thickness (0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3 mm), print speed (25, 35, 45 mm/sec), and extrusion temperature (190 °C, 220 °C, 250 °C) were considered for the study. The specimens were then subjected to evaluation of mechanical properties such as tensile, bending, and Surface roughness. The mechanical properties were found to have a dependence on extrusion temperature, layer thickness, and printing speed. While the relationship between mechanical properties and printing time was also evaluated. A better surface finish was obtained at a mean roughness value (Ra) of 3.7μm, while the ultimate tensile strength of 39.85 N/mm
²
was noted amongst the specimens considered.