Impact of infill density on morphology and mechanical properties of 3D printed ABS/CF-ABS composites using design of experiments

Metal Extrusion (MEX) is a leading 3D printing technology for polymers, enabling intricate designs and personalized products in various applications. The current study evaluate how infill density affects the tensile, flexural, compressive, Izod impact and fracture behaviour of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and Carbon Fiber Reinforced-Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (CF-ABS) specimens manufactured using the MEX method. Different infill densities of 20, 40, 60 and 80 % are used in the production of honeycomb infill pattern samples for investigating the mechanical as well as fracture behaviour of MEX ABS/CF-ABS components. The experimental runs of fabricated composites were tested using a digital Izod impact tester and servo-controlled hydraulic universal testing machine, following ASTM standard procedures. The experimental findings show that CF-ABS specimens with an 80 % infill density and honeycomb fill pattern showed significant improvements in tensile strength, modulus, yield strength and elongation. The flexural strength (64.74 %), flexural modulus (209.15 %), compressive strength (125.21 %), compressive modulus (108.34 %) and impact strength (38.91 %) of these specimens are comparable to those of 3D printed ABS specimens and other infill densities. The research shows that precise management of processing variables can greatly improve the mechanical properties of 3D-printed ABS samples, providing valuable insights for a range of applications.