pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S01 - Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
Poster Presentation
 
 

3D Printing of Polypropylene by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technique

Aumnate Chuanchom (1)*, Potiyaraj Pranut (1)

(1) Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University - Bangkok - Thailand

Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing is a revolutionary emerging technology with profound geopolitical, economic, social, demographic, environmental, and security implications. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique is widely used among various 3D printing methods. With FDM process, the melted filament is extruded through the nozzle and builds up layer by layer onto the build platform where layers are fused together and then solidify into final parts. General material behaviors during extrusion through a nozzle lead to the most exclusive use of amorphous thermoplastics in FDM such as ABS and PLA. However, the uses of semi-crystalline thermoplastics in particular polypropylene (PP) is limited in FDM 3D printing, since there is still lack of the standard information of FDM filament available. In this study, we investigated the properties of three different grades of PP that influence the print quality, especially thermal and rheological properties. We found that the processing temperature and melt viscosity have no significant effect on the extrusion of melted PP through the FDM printer nozzle. However, the solidification seems to be a considerable factor affected the printability as well as the printed-part quality.