Assessment Effect of Nanometer-Sized Al2O3 Fillers in Polylactide on Fracture Probability of Filament and 3D Printed Samples by FDM

Abstract

In this paper, a mathematical model for the description of the failure probability of filament and fused deposition modeling (FDM)-printed products is considered. The model is based on the results of tensile tests of filament samples made of polyacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactide (PLA), and composite PLA filled with alumina (Al2O3) as well after FDM-printed products of “spatula” type. The application of probabilistic methods of fracture analysis revealed that the main contribution to the reduction of fracture probability is made by the elastic and plastic stages of the fracture curve under static loading. Particle distribution analysis of Al2O3 combined with fracture probability analysis shows that particle size distributions on the order of 10−5 and 10−6 mm decrease the fracture probability of the sample, whereas uniform particle size distributions on the order of 10−1 and 10−2 mm do not change the distribution probability. The paper shows that uneven distribution of Al2O3 fillers in composite samples made using FDM printing technology leads to brittle fracture of the samples.